


Ivan Braginsky's Guide To Taking Care Of An Alien

by Zero_Gravity



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alien!Alfred, Alien!Matthew, Alternate Universe - Aliens, Alternate Universe - Human, Drama, Hiding in Plain Sight, Human!Gilbert, Human!Ivan, Humor, Injury Recovery, Interspecies Relationship(s), Interspecies Romance, Light Angst, M/M, Mild Sexual Content, No Spoilers, Protectiveness, Romance, Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-09
Updated: 2016-05-19
Packaged: 2018-04-19 11:12:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 27
Words: 118,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4744202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zero_Gravity/pseuds/Zero_Gravity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ivan has never been the best with people, often ending up alone. Perhaps that's why he became a writer, why he agreed to move, why his life took the direction it did. He never saw anything remarkable about it, accepting it simply as the way things were. Even if it left him incredibly lonely.</p><p>And then he meets Alfred, who claims to be an alien hiding from the government.</p><p>Ivan has a lot of decisions to make that will affect both of their lives.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Bringing Your Alien Home

Ivan moved down the sidewalk, listening as his booted feet hit the damp pavement. It had rained earlier, just before he decided to go out, and dead autumn leaves stuck to the ground. He always enjoyed midnight walks. There was almost never anyone else out, leaving the world in a calm silence. It helped ease his insomnia-induced mind and hopefully, by the time he returned to his apartment, he would be able to get some sleep.

Chills ran up his arms as a breeze tousled his hair. He shoved his hands into his coat pockets, shoulders hunching, in an attempt to stay warm. Winter was fast approaching. Ivan never did like winter. It always came too quickly and stayed too long. He expected the first snowfall in a few week's time. At least American winters weren't as harsh the ones back home, in Russia.

He looked over his shoulder at the sound of running feet just in time to see some kid skid around the corner. The hood of his ratty blue sweater was pulled up and his head bowed, obscuring his face. He gripped the strap of a backpack hanging on his shoulder. Ivan had to dodge out of his way as he bolted past.

Possibilities ran through Ivan's mind as he continued on his way. Escaped from the clutches of a serial killer. No, he'd just committed a murder himself. His first, the first of many, and he would no doubt be paranoid about being caught by the police. Jumpy and skin crawling at the slightest creek or knock on the door. He'd be like that until the itch clawing at his skull compelled him to do it again.

Reality: the kid probably stole something. But that was boring.

With it being so late, most places in the city were closed. A few bars and clubs remained open, a 24-hour convenience store, the movie theater. Nowhere Ivan was particularly interested in visiting at the moment. He had been walking a long while anyway and should head home. He found a bus stop and sat on the bench. He preferred taking the bus home, not only because his feet were tired, but also because it was interesting to observe his fellow passengers.

A body peeked around the wall of the stop's canopy. Ivan recognized the knit sweater and his eyes locked with neon blue. He was instantly captivated by them. It was like they were glowing, though he assumed it was an affect from the light of the street lamp combined with the color of the kid's sweater. He made a mental note of those eyes. He'd have to give them to a character at some point.

The kid shuffled around to sit opposite from him, clutching his backpack to his chest like a lifeline. Ivan observed from the corner of his eye, as he tended to do with the world around him.

It was a simple backpack, black or maybe navy blue. Hard to tell in the poor lighting. The kid's jeans were torn over one knee and his black Converse were scuffed, splashes of mud caked on the white rubber soles. Ivan guessed he had been through the park, as that was the only place he could recall that had enough dirt for mud. The hood was pulled back just enough for a funny cowlick to pop up around the hem, and the ends of the sleeves had a few frayed holes. Black framed glasses sat on his nose. The last things Ivan noted were the bruise under his right eye and the cut above his left brow.

There was something intriguing about the kid that Ivan couldn't really place his finger on. A new person was taking shape in his mind, with those same Hollywood looks dressed down in tattered old clothes. He hitchhikes from state to state, the backpack his only luggage. He needed a name.

“Alfred.”

Ivan looked over at the boy, eyes widening slightly. It wasn't often that something startled him, but it was almost as though the kid had read his mind. Not really a name he'd pick, though.

“I was thinking Alexei, or perhaps Yuri,” he mused.

“Those are very...Eastern Europe,” Alfred said thoughtfully, “do I seem like I'm from Eastern Europe?”

Ivan scanned his eyes over him again, “no, I suppose not. But Alfred will not do, either.”

Alfred huffed, “since when do you get to just decide people's names?”

“I am not deciding your name, I am naming a new person,” Ivan explained.

“I thought you had to have sex to make new people.”

Well, wasn't he a blunt one. Ivan ducked his nose behind his scarf to hide the tint of blush he could feel heating his cheeks. “I- that's...that's not how I meant. I am a writer, I am creating a new character.”

“Oh~, I thought you were trying to guess my name,” Alfred said, “if that's the case, why were you staring at me?”

Blunt and observant. Most people never noticed. “He looks like you. But he needs a name. A _nice_ name.”

“Alfred is so a nice name,” Alfred said, his voice getting squeakier as it raised.

“Nyet, it is name for old men.”

“Hey!”

Ivan giggled. He looked up at the sky as he relaxed into the bench. “You are a serial killer from New York City, traveling to avoid getting caught. Your name is...Allan.” He looked over at Alfred with an expectant smile, wanting to know what the other thought.

Wide blue eyes stared back, a firm frown in place on pink lips and a crease between his brows, “that's really what you think of me?”

Ivan dropped his smile, “no. I told you, I am creating a character.”

Alfred let out a breathy little 'oh,' his eyes lighting up again. No one should be allowed to have eyes that bright, Ivan thought. They were too pretty, it made him want to steal them. He wanted to steal all of him. And he would, though not literally.

“Where're you headed?” Alfred asked.

“Home. And yourself?”

Alfred looked away, arms tightening around his backpack, “I don't know.” His voice was quiet, distant.

Ivan's brow furrowed in concern, “no home to return to?”

Alfred sighed, tilting his head back to look up at the star riddled sky, “there is a home, but I can't get back there.”

“Why not?”

Alfred glanced at him, “just can't. Say, when's the bus getting here?”

Ivan looked out at the street, “soon, I believe.”

“Mm,” Alfred hummed. He looked tired. Ivan could see the bags under his eyes because of the new angle. And freckles splattered across his cheekbones. Damn. Ivan had a _thing_ for freckles.

The more Ivan studied him, the more interesting Alfred became. He loved picking up little details about people, storing them away for later use in his writing, and he could already tell the kid was full of quirks. He wanted to know what they were.

The corner of a book poked out of the main compartment of Alfred's backpack, the zipper not fully pulled to the end. “What are you reading?” Ivan asked.

Alfred's head snapped up to look at him, “how did you...?”

Ivan gave a nod to the backpack, “I can see a book in there.”

Alfred looked down curiously. He jostled his bag and tugged the zipper all the way down, “just some stuff I need to study.”

“You are a college student?”

“No.”

“Then what are you studying for?”

Alfred eyed him cautiously before unzipping his bag just enough to pull the book out. He handed it over and Ivan examined the cover and title. _UFOs and Other Extraterrestrial Phenomena_. The words were accompanied by a flying saucer sketched in gray-scale, a beam of light shining down from it over a forest.

“You believe in this?” Ivan asked, fighting back an amused smirk. He didn't often delve into the extraterrestrial world.

Alfred snatched his book back, flipping through the pages quickly as though Ivan might have slipped something in them. “Maybe.” He stowed it away again and hugged his bag to his chest. “What's it to you?”

Ivan shrugged, “none of my business, really. Just curious about you.”

Alfred raised an eyebrow at him, “why?”

“You seem interesting. I am a writer. Writers like interesting people.”

Alfred perked up with sudden interest, sitting straighter, “what do you write?”

“Horror, mostly. I have a few books published,” Ivan said, a little proud of himself. He had been doubtful of his own success in the beginning, especially with not being a native English speaker.

Alfred fiddled with his glasses, almost looking like he was pressing buttons, “what's your name?”

“Ivan Braginsky.”

Alfred pursed his lips, still playing with his glasses. His eyes flicked around, the way they do when someone is reading fast. “Eight books, all have done well. Most were on best-seller lists.”

Ivan shifted in his seat, “have you heard of me?” He had met readers of his books before, obviously. He'd done plenty of book signings. It felt weird, though, coming across someone who had heard of him when he wasn't expecting it.

Alfred bit his bottom lip and glanced at him, “yes? Can't say I've read any of your work, though.”

Ivan chuckled, “that is fine.” It also made him fee a little more at ease.

And then Alfred smiled. Wide and showing teeth, his eyes lit up impossibly bright. The sight of it made Ivan want to squirm. “Maybe I will someday.”

Ivan smiled back, smaller and softer, never really reaching his eyes. “That would be very nice.”

Something about Alfred's smile made Ivan's breath hitch and he wasn't sure if he liked that. He wanted to see it again, a test to see if he'd give the same reaction. But he had never been very good at making people smile. There was something he was curious about, though.

“If you don't know where you are going, why get on a bus?”

“Just seeing where it gets me. Hopefully somewhere safe.”

That answer was a bit concerning. “You do not have a place to stay for the night?”

The corners of Alfred's lips twisted down, “no.”

Ivan felt sympathy build in his chest. Alfred couldn't be that old, collage age maybe. He shouldn't be on the streets. He cleared his throat, feeling awkward for what he was about to offer. “I have a guest room in my apartment. You can sleep there for the night.” He glanced over to find Alfred staring at him, neon blue eyes wide in a look of surprise. “If you want, that is. I don't mean anything weird by it.”

“Really?” Alfred asked, “you'd really be okay with that?”

“I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't.”

He flinched when Alfred was suddenly right next to him, latching his arms around his neck in a crushingly tight embrace, “Oh, my gods, thank you! Thank you-thank you-thank you!”

“It...it's nothing,” Ivan mumbled, patting his shoulder lightly.

Alfred pulled away, the biggest grin plastered to his face and his eyes even brighter than before, “I was so scared I'd end up dead in a dumpster or a ditch or something. Does that really happen a lot? 'Cause I've read about it, and it seems to be a common warning for parents here to give and-”

“H-hey,” Ivan pushed him further away gently, “you won't end up dead anywhere, alright?”

“So it _does_ happen,” Alfred's eyes went wide again, this time with a look of mild fear.

“Well, maybe? I don't know,” Ivan said. The fear didn't leave Alfred's face and he decided he hated the sight. “I won't let it happen.”

Alfred smiled and nodded rapidly. “Thank you,” he said again, relief clear in his voice and written all over his face.

The bus approached, the tires squealing to a stop. Ivan stood and Alfred grabbed his backpack, slinging it onto his shoulder as he followed.

“Do you live close?” Alfred asked as they boarded.

“Close enough,” Ivan said, “it should only be about ten or so minutes until we're there.”

“Cool,” Alfred slouched in his seat, watching as he knocked the toes of his sneakers together. They both swayed when the bus jolted into motion. “So, what kind of horror books do you write?”

“Psychological,” Ivan answered, “though I've also written some paranormal and murder mystery types of stories.”

Alfred fiddled with his glasses again. Ivan wondered if it was a habit of concentration. “Nice. I prefer science-fiction myself, but I do like a good horror every now and then.”

“Do you read often?”

“Not for fun...” Ivan chuckled at the way Alfred sounded almost ashamed to admit the fact.

As a writer, Ivan read all the time, both for work and leisure. He had to keep up with what was going on in the literature world if he wanted to stay on top of the game, especially in his genre. With visual media numbing peoples' senses, it was getting more and more difficult to write good horror that people would actually bother to read. Without everything becoming nothing but a bloody mess of sex and violence, that is. That was why he enjoyed psychological horror. It was more thought-provoking, more realistic without the all gore and 'shock' factors. And that was what made it so scary. Ending up in a mental institution was far more likely than being ripped apart by werewolves.

Ivan's cat, Sputnik, greeted them with meows from the kitchen counter, which she was not supposed to be on.

“Get down,” Ivan shooed her to the floor, her mop of long gray fur fluffing up as she jumped.

“She likes being eye-level with you,” Alfred said, shuffling further into the apartment while Ivan locked the door.

Ivan huffed, “are you some sort of cat expert?”

“No, I work at that music store down town.”

“What...?” Ivan trailed off with a glance to the clock on the stove. It was almost two in the morning. He was usually up until around four, maybe five -six on a bad night-, but now he felt like he could sleep. He sucked in a breath to stifle a yawn, “I will show you to the guest room.”

“Right,” Alfred trotted along behind him to the other side of the apartment, eyes scanning over everything.

In the hall, Ivan pushed a door open and flipped the light switch. It was a simple room, decorated in royal blue and off-white.

“Help yourself to the kitchen if you're hungry,” Ivan said, standing in the doorway while Alfred checked everything out, “and if you need anything, I will be in the next room.”

Alfred nodded and swung his backpack from his shoulder to the foot of the bed. Ivan watched curiously as Alfred made his way back over to him. He froze when Alfred grabbed the front of his coat, lowering his head to nuzzle lightly against his chest.

“You're a really nice human.”

“Uh...thank you?” Ivan shifted awkwardly. The kid was so strange, and it fascinated him. He also wasn't used to being called _nice_. What was this?

Alfred pulled away with a fond smile, “You should get some sleep now. Goodnight, Ivan.”

“Goodnight,” Ivan stepped out and closed the door behind him. He rubbed his chest where the feeling of Alfred's forehead lingered. Did it always feel nice when other people touched you, or had it been so long since he'd felt human contact that he'd forgotten what it was like?

Sputnik rubbed against his calf and mewled. He bent to pick her up and snuggled her, “come, let's go to bed.”

Once in his own room, he changed into an old white t-shirt, the cotton softened with age, and black pajama pants. He crawled under his blanket, the only light coming from his bedside lamp, and picked up the latest book he'd been reading. Sputnik curled up in a tight ball on his lap, purring contentedly as she kneaded his thighs. He was thankful the blanket created a barrier between his skin and her claws.

Ivan found himself unable to focus on his book, thoughts drifting to the kid in his guest room. Should he have offered him some water? That seemed like something he should have done. And did he have clothes to sleep in? All he had with him was that backpack. It looked full, but full of what? Clean clothes and other essentials, Ivan hoped. There was that alien book, though...

Ivan sighed and flipped his book shut, using his thumb as a placeholder. He felt like he should be better at this hosting thing. His eyes met with Sputnik's, “should I check on him?”

Sputnik blinked once slowly, and he could feel her claws pressing firmly into the blanket. He took it as her answer of 'I'm comfy, stay put.' Ivan looked up at the door. Alfred would be fine. He told him to ask if he needed anything, and Alfred didn't seem like the type that would be too shy to do so.

“He's fine,” Ivan stated to Sputnik. He nestled in to his pillow and attempted to resume reading. Alfred was probably asleep by now, anyway. There was no reason to fuss over him.

When he finished the chapter, he set his book on the bedside table and turned the light off, sliding further under the covers. Sputnik moved to curl up against the crook of his neck, her fur tickling Ivan's nose until he blew it out of the way.

Ivan was just starting to drift off to sleep when he was jolted awake by a fleshy thud. Remembering his guest, he quickly got out of bed, not bothering with turning lights on, and hurried out of his room.

“Alfred?” He called, stepping into the hall.

“I- um, I'm fine,” Alfred's muffled voice came from the bathroom.

“Are you sure? It sounded like you fell,” Ivan felt along the wall as he walked. He could see the light from under the door.

“I-it was nothing.” Alfred sounded very unsure of his own words. Ivan heard him hiss and mutter a short string of curses.

He knocked to let him know he was outside the door, “I'm coming in, alright?”

“What? No, don't-”

Ivan turned the knob and swung the door open. He stilled when he saw Alfred, who stared back at him with startled blue eyes. Bandages wrapped around Alfred's chest and his left bicep, clinging to dried red stains. Scabbed over wounds peeked out where the gauze had fallen, loose from an attempt to exchange them for fresh ones. Various scrapes and bruises were scattered over the rest of his visible flesh.

“U-um, I'm fine, really,” Alfred said with an uneasy smile.

“What...what happened to you?” Ivan moved closer, examining the damage.

“Nothing.”

Ivan gave him a skeptical look. He knelt and opened the cabinet under the sink, pulling out a first-aide kit before standing and nudging it closed with his knee. He gestured the counter top, “sit.”

“Hm?”

“I said sit. This needs to be properly taken care of.”

Alfred glanced around nervously as he shifted from foot to foot. After a few seconds of avoiding Ivan's determined gaze, he did as told and slid on to the bathroom counter.

“Tell me what happened,” Ivan said as he pulled supplies from the first-aide box. He set everything aside to pull off the rest of Alfred's dirty bandages.

“Can I trust you?”

“Of course,” Ivan tossed the used bandages into the sink and dampened a washcloth to clean the wound, adding a bit of disinfectant.

“I'm an alien.”

Ivan barely paused in his work. His eyes kept focused on where he was diligently cleaning the healing gash marring Alfred's chest. “You are here illegally?” He had pegged Alfred as being a New Yorker by his accent, though it was possible he'd been wrong. It couldn't be that hard for a Canadian to move to the States, could it?

“No. Yes? No. What?”

Ivan looked up curiously, confused neon blue meeting soft violet. It was strange how Alfred's eyes seemed to glow at times.

And then three little words tumbled out of soft lips. “I'm not human.”

“Funny.” Ivan said flatly. He dropped the now bloodied washcloth in the sink and grabbed the roll of gauze to wrap around Alfred's chest.

“I'm serious,” Alfred pouted. He lifted his arms a little so Ivan could get the bandages around him. “That's why I'm all banged up. I crashed here and now I can't get home...”

“If you're an alien, where is your ship?” Ivan secured the fresh bandages in place and began putting the supplies away.

“A bunch of government guys in uniforms took it. Er...what was left of it.”

Ivan sighed and rubbed his eyes. It was too late for such nonsense. “Of course they did. Let me guess, you can't let them catch you or they'll experiment on you.”

“Exactly!” Alfred shouted, his eyes sparking.

“Go to bed.” Ivan ushered Alfred off the counter and out of the bathroom, flicking the light off on his way.

“You don't believe me, do you?” Alfred asked, his shoulders sulking under Ivan's guiding hand.

Ivan stifled a yawn, “it is late. Try again in the morning.”

“Fine,” Alfred grumbled. He scurried into the guest room with a quick “night” and shut the door behind himself.

Ivan lingered outside and rubbed his hands over his face. Claiming to have seen aliens was one thing, common almost. Claiming to _be_ one was entirely different. He knew it was wrong, but the thought of housing with someone potentially delusional was more than a little exciting. He wondered if Alfred would give him to same story tomorrow, come up with something else, or just tell him the truth.

Ivan made his way back to his own room and crawled back into bed. Sputnik was waiting for him by his pillow, moving to curl up in her usual spot by his neck as soon he settled.

* * *

 Ivan shuffled down the hall to the bathroom, Sputnik on his heels. When he flicked the light on, he was met with a mess of bloody gauze and a washcloth filling the sink.

Oh. So, that actually happened. Hm. He'd thought it may have been a vivid dream, but the sink mess would suggest otherwise. He leaned back, looking at the guest room door. That also meant there was a _person_ in there.

Ugh. He was not good at dealing with people first thing in the morning. If you could call 9 AM first thing. That gave him, what? Five hours of sleep. No, he'd gone to bed early. Seven hours. Eh, more than he usually got.

After a trip to the restroom, Ivan wandered to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. He didn't used to drink it, at least not in Russia. It was always tea over there, which he still preferred. Unfortunately, jet lag had mixed horrendously with his sleep troubles and he found himself dependent on the bitter fluid for an extra boost of energy.

Sputnik rubbed against his calf and meowed demandingly.

“Give me a moment, da?” Ivan mumbled. He moved over to the pantry and pulled out the bag of cat food. Two ceramic dishes sat over in the corner, black and decorated with fish bones. He filled one with food, put the bag away, and then took the other to the sink to fill it with fresh water.

When he turned around he froze, locking eyes with bright blue over in the living room. Alfred was fully dressed -or maybe he'd slept in his clothes- and tiptoeing his way to the front door. His backpack, as always, was hanging from one shoulder.

“Leaving?” Ivan asked simply. He had kind of been hoping Alfred would at least stay for breakfast. It wasn't often he came across such strange people. And there was that thing he'd said last night.

Alfred glanced at the the door and bit his bottom lip, as though he were guilty of something. “I, um...” He cleared his throat and straightened up, “thanks for, you know. Last night.”

Ivan watched him walk over, closer and closer, reaching, until. He was _hugging_ him. For the second time. And Ivan just stood there, staring down at the top of gold hair. Alfred had his ear pressed to Ivan's chest, his arms wrapped around him so tight breathing was becoming difficult.

And then he popped off with a grin. “You have a nice heartbeat.”

The hell kind of compliment was that? “Breakfast.”

“Hm?” Alfred cocked his head to the side, looking up at him questioningly.

“Have breakfast with me.”

Alfred smiled brightly, “sure, if you want.”

Ivan made blini and poured himself a cup of coffee. He hadn't made blini in a while, usually grabbing something simple and quick so he could get to work. Today, however, seemed special and he wanted something that would take longer to eat. He blamed it on Alfred.

“Aw, you made baby pancakes,” Alfred cooed, poking at his stack of blini with his fork. He had already smeared jam all over them, ignoring the sour cream entirely.

“Eat,” Ivan commanded, not bothering to correct him. Seeing Alfred with food in front of him brought an odd sense of fulfillment. If the kid didn't even have a place to live, who knew when the last time he ate was.

Why did he care so much, again? Not important. Aliens.

“About what you said last night-”

“It's true,” Alfred interrupted around a mouthful, “I know you don't believe me, but it's true, okay?”

Sputnik mewled loudly from wherever she was under the table.

“See, Sputnik knows what's up.” Alfred waved his fork around, as if to emphasize his point.

Ivan wasn't sure what to do with that. Was he joking, or did Alfred really think he could talk to Sputnik? He certainly seemed serious. And when did Ivan tell Alfred his cat's name? It must have been some time last night.

Enough distractions. There were more important things at hand. “Alfred, if you've been in some sort of accident, you need to tell someone. Preferably an adult.”

Alfred gave him a flat look, “I'm not a kid. I'm-” He paused, counting on his fingers. When that didn't appear to be working, he began fiddling with his glasses, squinting at nothing. He dropped his hands with a smug smirk, “I am nineteen. Legal adult status in most areas on this planet.”

“You are still a kid,” Ivan insisted, “what happened?”

Alfred huffed, “I told you. I crashed my ship and government dudes took the remains. I'm lucky to be alive, ya' know!”

“Yes, yes, yes. Now, the truth.”

Alfred groaned and slumped back in his seat, “that is the truth.”

“You are not very convincing.” Ivan blinked in surprise when Alfred scrambled out of his sweater and glared at him, showing off his injured chest.

“Oh, yeah? What's all this then?”

Ivan narrowed his eyes, “put that back on.” He didn't usually care about seeing injuries, it was part of working in the horror genre. On Alfred, it made his stomach twist sickeningly.

Alfred complied, pulling the blue knit back over his head and yanking it down with more force than necessary. He kept up his glare, now aiming it at his lap, and pouted.

Ivan rolled his eyes at him. And he claimed to be an adult. Still, this could be interesting. Alfred really seemed to believe he was alien. Ivan couldn't help but wonder where that came from, where it would lead.

“Thanks for breakfast.” Chairs legs scraped against tile as Alfred stood abruptly. He grabbed his backpack from where he'd placed it on the floor and Ivan shot up, seizing his wrist.

“Where do you think you are going?”

“Somewhere- just let go,” Alfred yanked his arm to free himself, making Ivan stumbled against the table. He was much stronger than he looked.

“You have nowhere,” Ivan let his voice raise authoritatively. Something scratching at his insides told him not to let the kid go. Alfred was injured, homeless, possibly delusional. Ivan wondered why he cared. It wasn't like they knew each other.

Alfred flinched at the words, “you don't think I know that? I'll find a place.”

He turned on his heel and Ivan grabbed the back of his sweater, jerking him back down into the chair. “You are far too trusting. What if you come across some strange person wanting bad things from you?”

Alfred jumped, bounding for the living room, and dropped to roll under the coffee table. “Is that what you want?! What are these bad things? I won't do it!”

Ivan let out a frustrated sigh. “I am not- I was only warning you. I _helped_ you, why would I do that if I wanted something else?”

“It's called an ulterior motive! A false sense of security!”

Ivan felt a growing urge to strangle the blonde and pushed it down. No, he wanted to keep him around. If he hurt him, he'd scare him off. Ivan walked over to the living room, getting on his hands and knees to peer under the coffee table. Neon blue eyes glared back as Alfred shrunk away like a cat. It was a wonder he could fit under there.

“If I wanted something from you, I would have taken it while you were asleep and vulnerable.”

That seemed to relax Alfred enough to ease the tension in his shoulders. He eyed Ivan with a great amount of suspicion, “you promise you're not up to any funny business?”

“I promise,” Ivan said softly yet firmly.

Alfred studied his face before nodding once, and then wiggled out from under the table. Ivan sat back on his heels, watching him.

It worried Ivan how easy it was to get Alfred to trust him. He would be incredibly easy to take advantage of. He needed to stay, Ivan decided. He could look after him, make sure Alfred stays out of trouble. It shouldn't be too hard to take care of the kid. He kept Sputnik alive just fine.

“Then what am I supposed to do?” Alfred grumbled, eyes cast to the floor. Ivan had a point; any planet you visit would have many bad people, and he had a tendency of trusting people too readily.

“You will stay here,” Ivan said simply.

“You mean, like, live here?” Alfred asked slowly, raising an eyebrow at him.

“Yes.”

“Just like that, you're gonna let me live with you?”

Ivan nodded, “you shall stay in the guest room.”

He fell backwards when Alfred threw himself at him for another hug. He'd have to set up some boundaries. Sputnik wasn't allowed on the counters, and Alfred needed to keep his hands to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first time uploading a story, so...hi! Please let me know if you like this, it would be greatly appreciated.  
> If anyone is wondering about Ivan's writing, he writes in Russian and then his books get translated.


	2. House Rules and Bath Time

Before Alfred, Ivan only had one rule.

_1\. No cats on the counter_

And now...

_2\. No hugging_  
_3\. No loud noises after midnight_  
_4\. People do not go in the washing machine_

Thankfully, Alfred counted Sputnik in for the last one. In some strange bout of fascination, he'd tried to climb in with the cat. Ivan had to explain that the machine was for washing clothes and yes, _only_ that. Rule #3 was more of a just-in-case than anything else. He already had trouble sleeping, he didn't need noisy “aliens” making it any more difficult.

He even wrote them down on a little slip of paper to stick to the fridge should anyone -Alfred- need reminding.

Ivan threw Alfred's load of laundry into the wash, a grand total of four shirts, two pairs of jeans, two pairs of boxers, his blue hoodie, and a pair of socks. All of which was in desperate need of being cleaned, similar to their owner. Alfred was left running around in nothing but some old pajama pants of Ivan's, the drawstring cinched tight around his hips. His hair was greasy and his skin was smeared with grime. He didn't smell the best either, which Ivan temporarily fixed by spraying him with the pet odor repellent he used on Sputnik's litter box. He would definitely be making sure Alfred got a bath later.

Currently, Ivan had some urgent emails from his publisher to reply to and had set Alfred in front of the television with a documentary about the solar system. He was sitting with his legs criss-crossed and a stuffed alien he called his “friend” Tony in his lap.

“Hey, Ivan.”

“Yes?”

“Why is Pluto classified as a little dwarf planet when it wasn't before?”

“There are three planetary requirements, astronomers found that Pluto only meets two.”

“And what are the Milky Way's requirements for being a planet?”

Ivan stopped typing the email he needed to send to look over at the couch. “I do not have time to answer all of your questions. Just watch the film.”

Alfred pouted and leaned back into the couch, “okay, fine.”

Ivan went back to his email. His publisher, Toris, was questioning him about estimated deadlines, dates, and other such things. It was boring, but still important.

“Ivan.”

“...yes?”

“How many constellations show up in Earth's sky?”

“That is not something I know off the top of my head.” Ivan answered mechanically. He was too distracted by his email conversation to really pay attention to Alfred.

And then there was that... _thing._ The character description Ivan had written based off of Alfred. Well, not _Alfred_ Alfred, so much as his appearance. Those eyes. They were so vividly blue, it was almost like they glowed- sort of. A real person shouldn't have eyes like that, and so Ivan was going to give them to a fictional one. He just wasn't sure who yet, or what their story would be. Except that his name was Allan.

“Ivan.”

He also needed to speak with his editor, Eduard, and go over any changes that needed to be made in the new chapters he'd sent him.

“Ivan.”

Ugh, and they'd probably want him to do some kind of signing at some point. Ivan wasn't too fond of those. Maybe they'd let him sign the books at home and ship them off to stores and wherever. At least that wouldn't be for a while, not until after publication.

“Hey, Ivan.”

He should probably also get in contact with the translator, Raivis. He usually had a lot of grammar adjustments made for the English version, and Ivan would have to make sure nothing was changed plot-wise. At least not too much. He could allow a little wiggle room.

Ivan looked up from his laptop when a golden blonde head rose up from behind his desk. Neon blue eyes peered back at him.

“Ivan, why are humans so interested in Mars?”

_5\. Do not disturb Ivan while he is working_

After shooing Alfred away with a half-assed answer about science and possible colonization, Ivan went back to focusing on work.

Once the documentary was over, Alfred disappeared to his room. Ivan assumed it was to read or something, the kid did have some books in his backpack. As long as he was quiet, Ivan didn't care much about what he got up to.

When Ivan was done, though, he thought he should probably ask Alfred about his place of employment. He did mention something about working at a music store. It would be useful to know his schedule, when he'd be gone, what days he had off. Ivan made a mental note to ask about it later.

After several email exchanges, he was finally done with the urgent stuff. Ivan leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms out. He let them fall onto the armrests of his chair and looked over at the couch. It had been a while since he heard any kind of noise from Alfred. He decided not to worry about it and got up to make lunch. Sandwiches sounded nice. He should probably ask Alfred if he wanted one. The kid had to be hungry, he hadn't eaten since breakfast and it was past noon.

Ivan turned when he heard Sputnik mewing and saw her trotting into the kitchen. There was something white coating her long gray fur. Ivan's brow scrunched in confusion and he knelt as she came up to him, meowing demandingly. She wanted to be cleaned, he guessed. He ran a few fingers over the substance and discovered it was...powder?

Someone got into something.

Ivan stood, abandoning his sandwich idea, and hurried to Alfred's bedroom door. He didn't even bother with knocking and swung it open but his ward wasn't in there. He went down to the bathroom and found what he was looking for.

Alfred sat on the floor in front of the sink, _covered_ in baby powder. Bottles and boxes of cleaning supplies lay scattered around him, some of them open or spilled. Alfred was staring at him over his shoulder with wide eyes, clearly not excepting Ivan to have so suddenly barge in on him. He held the bottle of powder in both hands, and it looked as though he'd accidentally squeezed it too hard and sprayed it all over himself.

“What...are you doing?”

“I was curious,” Alfred said, sounding very much guilty.

“About...what- nyet, Alfred, why would you-” Ivan groaned and ran a hand through his hair. He wasn't sure where to even begin with this. Didn't Alfred know anything about living in a home? That thought was little...hm. Ivan did find him on the street, after all. And that wasn't important at the moment. For now:

_6\. Cleaning supplies is off limits, except when cleaning_

And it was most definitely bath time.

* * *

Alfred waited patiently behind Ivan while he plugged the tub's drain and turned the faucet on to fill it up with warm water. They'd already cleaned up the mess that had been made, but the mess _on_ Alfred would be easier to get off in the bath.

Once the tub was half full, Ivan sat back on his heels. “Alright, get in.”

Alfred pulled the drawstrings on his pants and let them fall to the floor. Ivan politely averted his eyes, although Alfred didn't seem to care at all that he was completely naked. Even his glasses had been removed, being set on the counter. He climbed into the tub and settled in the water.

Ivan didn't really care about being around naked people. He'd only ever felt sexual attraction once or twice in his life, and even then it was only after he'd become incredibly close to the person. He wasn't sure why he was like that, and it was often difficult to explain to others that sex was just not something he was generally interested in. He wondered if he'd ever find someone that understood, or at least didn't mind.

However, it was still a little strange for Ivan to bathe another person, but he deemed it necessary. Whatever Alfred's accident was, it left him stiff and sore, making it too difficult for him to reach everywhere.

Alfred giggled and splashed excitedly.

“Stop that!” Ivan held up a defensive arm in a feeble attempt to keep himself from getting wet.

“It's so warm, though,” Alfred wiggled around happily, washing off his lower half with a washcloth. It was only his torso, face, and hair that he would need help with.

“Are you gonna get in, too?” Alfred asked with a quick glance over his shoulder.

“Nyet- no,” Ivan felt his face heating up and blamed it on the hot water. He carefully removed Alfred's bandages and tossed them in the little trashcan by the door. Alfred rinsed out the washcloth and handed it to him. Ivan squeezed some soap onto it and started with Alfred's arms, scrubbing them down until all the dirt came off.

Alfred bit his lip and shook when Ivan got between his fingers.

“What?”

“It's tickles!” Alfred wheezed, clamping his free hand over his mouth to hold in giggles.

Ivan huffed and rolled his eyes. It was a amusing, though, watching Alfred struggle just to hold still. Really, he could have gotten his hands and arms by himself. But Ivan found that he...kinda of liked having someone to take care of. He supposed it wasn't too much of a surprise. He enjoyed looking after Sputnik, and he didn't think Alfred would be much different, aside from being able to speak.

Sputnik had her own little bed in the corner of Ivan's room, Alfred had a bed in a different room. Sputnik required food, Alfred required food. Sputnik made little noises, Alfred made louder little noises. Sputnik sometimes made messes, Alfred's were just bigger. Sputnik had a stuffed rocket ship with a pocket for catnip, while Alfred had his alien, Tony. Ivan wondered what a high Alfred would be like.

No.

Ivan made sure to use fresh water from the faucet to clean around Alfred's wounds. After that, it was time to wash his hair. Ivan picked up the plastic cup he used when Sputnik needed baths and filled it with water to dump over Alfred's head. Alfred squeaked in surprise.

“You could've warned me...” he grumbled.

Ivan chuckled and grabbed the bottle of shampoo. He squeezed out a decent amount onto Alfred's hair and began massaging it into his scalp. He paused for a moment when Alfred leaned into the touch and made a purring sound, somewhere between a cat's and tinkling bells.

“What was that?”

“What was what?”

“You made a strange noise.”

Alfred smirked, “just something my species does when we're happy.”

“Of course it is,” Ivan sighed.

“You don't believe me.”

“I don't.”

Alfred purred again, this time louder and intentionally. Ivan raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. It wasn't exactly a human sound, although it could probably be achieved with practice.

“Ivan?” Alfred asked after a short silence, voice quiet in his contentment.

“Yes?”

“How old are you?”

“Twenty-eight.”

Alfred hummed thoughtfully. “You're a lot older than me.”

“Nine years. It is not too much, I think.” Ivan felt a little uncomfortable at their age difference being pointed out. He didn't mind taking care of a younger man, but he didn't know how Alfred would feel about that.

“It's nice, 'cause that means you're all smart and mature and stuff,” Alfred mumbled.

“Da, I suppose.” Ivan didn't let himself think too much about it and instead busied himself with rinsing Alfred's hair. He made him sit sideways in the tub and tilt his head back. Ivan poured cupful after cupful of water over Alfred's hair, pushing out all of the shampoo until it ran clear.

After that, it was time to get out. Ivan let Alfred sit in the water while the tub drained and went to get a towel from the hall closet. He picked the fluffiest one and returned, holding it up while Alfred climbed out and then wrapped him up in it securely.

Alfred purred again and snuggled into the towel with a big smile. “I'm all clean.”

“Hold still,” Ivan said.

Alfred watched curiously as Ivan took one of the washcloths and reached for his face. He instinctively scrunched his eyes shut while Ivan gently cleaned him, making sure to get under Alfred's chin and behind his ears.

“There, now you are 'all clean,'” Ivan smiled softly. A warm feeling spread through his chest when Alfred smiled back. He stepped closer, nuzzling against Ivan's chest.

“Alfred.” Ivan placed his hands on Alfred's shoulders to hold him back as he stepped away.

“You said no hugging. That was not a hug.”

Ugh, loopholes. “Just...dry yourself.”

Ivan stepped around him to unplug the tub's drain and got the bandages from the first aide kit under the sink. Alfred dried off and picked up the pajama pants he'd been wearing earlier.

“I'm sorry I got powder all over your pants,” he frowned, examining the dusty white splotches.

Ivan took the pants from him and set them aside on the toilet seat. “It's alright. They can be washed.”

Alfred secured the towel around his waist and let Ivan wrap him in bandages. He didn't really need them, although it was still best to keep them covered.

“Don't scratch,” Ivan batted Alfred's hand away when he reached for his left arm. He'd gotten plenty of injuries in his life and knew how itchy healing could be. He tucked the gauze wrap into place. “I will see if your clothes are done in the drier.”

“Okay.”

Alfred waited on the couch while Ivan checked the laundry. It was in a small room outside the apartment, near the stairs at the end of the hall. Alfred's clothes were few enough that Ivan was able to carry them there and back without a basket. He dumped them on the couch.

“Get dressed, and then I want you to fold these and put them away, alright?”

“Sure thing.” Alfred stood and yanked the towel off. Ivan went back to his desk to check his emails. He wasn't sure what to think about Alfred being so comfortable with no clothes on, especially around someone he didn't particularly know very well. Ivan knew _he_ certainly wouldn't go nude around someone he wasn't close with. But, Alfred was his own person and Ivan wasn't one to judge.

Alfred dressed in a pair of star patterned boxers and a black t-shirt, and began folding the rest of his clothes.

Ivan watched him for a moment. Was Alfred not going to put actual pants on? He supposed it was fine, it wasn't like they had anywhere to go, and Alfred probably just wanted to be comfortable. Once Alfred was done folding his clothes, he left to put them in his room. Ivan listened closely as he waited for him to come back, should he decide he was “curious” about something else.

He was taking a while.

Longer than necessary for putting a few clothes away.

Ivan got up and went to look for him. Alfred's bedroom door was still open and he could hear muttering. Ivan peered in, keeping a distance from the door so he wouldn't be easily spotted. Alfred was sitting on the bed, his back to the door, and holding Tony close to his mouth. Was he talking to it? Ivan was genuinely starting to wonder about the state of the kid's mental health. He inched closer, trying to hear what Alfred was saying.

“...taking care of me, and he's so nice. I have a place to sleep and he gives me food and I really think I'm safe here, Mattie. Now I just have to figure out a way home. I hope you're okay, I-”

Ivan hadn't realized how much he was leaning until the floorboard under his foot creaked and Alfred's head whipped around. He squeezed Tony to his chest, grabbing its left hand in a fist.

“Ivan. Hi, I- uh, did you need something?”

“Um,” Ivan straightened himself and walked awkwardly into the room, avoiding eye contact. “I was just...checking on you. I would prefer you don't make any more messes.”

Alfred gave him a decidedly flat look, “I'm not.”

Ivan swallowed, though he wasn't sure what for. He felt silly, like a child that got caught sneaking candy. “Who were you speaking to?”

Alfred glanced at Tony and then back at Ivan. “No one.”

“I heard you-”

“I'm not crazy, I was just talking to my Friend.”

Ivan stared at him. How was _that_ supposed to make him sound sane when he was the only one in the room?

Alfred huffed and held Tony up, as though that were an explanation in itself. He must have seen Ivan's confusion. “It's technology from my planet.”

Ivan eyed it skeptically. “May I see?” He held a hand out, and Alfred gave it to him. Ivan turned the thing over in his hands, examining the face, body, limbs. The big red eyes were hard, and there was a thin slit where the a mouth should be. It was slightly heavier than he had been expecting. Other than that, it didn't appear to be anything special. “This doesn't seem-”

Alfred sneezed. He frowned and snatched Tony back, holding it tight again. He seemed genuinely concerned about this sneeze.

“Are you alright?” Ivan asked, moving closer to place a hand on his forehead. He noted that Alfred's hair was still wet. Maybe he should have dried it after the bath. At least he didn't seem to have a fever.

“Yeah, I'll be fine,” Alfred wasn't looking at him, his eyes focused on nothing in particular.

Ivan spotted Alfred's towel on the foot of the bed and grabbed it, sitting behind him to dry his hair. “Does this help?”

“Mmm...it might,” Alfred mumbled, tilting his head back.

Ivan rubbed the towel over Alfred's hair, soaking up the leftover water and leaving the golden blonde locks in disarray. He left it draped over Alfred's head when he finished. “Perhaps you should put more clothes on so you do not get cold?”

Alfred picked at the blanket, fidgeting a little, “can I borrow another pair of your pants? I don't have any comfy ones.”

Ivan smirked and stood, “sure, I will get them.” He wondered why Alfred had so little clothes if he had a regular job. There were a few secondhand shops downtown that sold clothes for very cheap. Well, now was as good a time as any to ask about Alfred's workplace. He retrieved a pair of black pajama pants and returned to Alfred's room.

“Alfred, didn't you mention working somewhere?”

“Hm? Oh, yeah. I work at Kirkland Records, downtown,” Alfred said, wiggling the pants on without getting up.

Okay, good. Ivan knew where that was, he'd even been in there on a few occasions. They sold used CD's and vinyls, and cassette tapes when they were brought in. The owner clearly had a leaning toward the British punk era. Not Ivan's favorite, but he could appreciate the sentiment.

“Why?” Alfred asked.

“I would appreciate it if you wrote down your schedule, so I may know when to expect you home or not.”

“Oh, Francis always writes it down for me. Can I just give you that?”

“Don't you need it?”

“Nah, I've got it. Plus, you can just put it on the fridge, like you did with the rules.”

“Very well,” Ivan said. Something else caught his attention, though. “Who is Francis?” He hadn't even thought to ask about coworkers or friends. What if...what if they were looking for Alfred? They'd probably take him away to live with someone he was more familiar with. Ivan's heart sank a little at the thought. He hadn't had Alfred for very long, and he could already feel himself getting attached.

“The store manager,” Alfred grabbed his backpack from beside the bed and rifled through it, digging out a slip of paper with computer-printed text.

“Thank you,” Ivan took the slip and smoothed it between his fingers, reading over the week long schedule. Alfred worked most days, except today and yesterday. He'd be going in tomorrow, his shift starting early in the morning. Thinking about when he'd found Alfred, Ivan decided he had something else to ask.

“When we met, what were you running from?”

Alfred gripped Tony again, pressing it to his stomach, “the people.”

Ivan looked up from the slip of paper, catching the hint of fear in Alfred's voice. “What people?” He sat on the edge of the bed again as Alfred explained.

“I don't know who they are. They look like normal humans, except they have these little folded badges that tell people they're important and can _do_ things that others can't, like take someone away.”

“They are after you?” If Ivan was guessing correctly, Alfred was probably talking about undercover officers. Or maybe psychiatric nurses. If Alfred was an escaped patient, though, should Ivan find out where he came from and return him? He didn't particularly like the thought, but it may be the best thing for Alfred.

Alfred nodded vigorously and wiggled closer to Ivan, grabbing the hem of his shirt. “You're not gonna let them get me, are you? I don't wanna be an experiment.”

“Ah-” Ivan studied Alfred's desperate face, neon blue pleading for something he thought Ivan could give him. He patted the hand Alfred had fist in his shirt, “you are safe here.”

Alfred smiled and pressed his face to Ivan's shoulder. Ivan stood when Alfred started snuggling up to him, letting him fall onto the mattress with a disappointed pout.

Ivan wondered what he was doing. There were people looking for Alfred, probably people that really cared about him, and yet Ivan was promising safety from them. He didn't believe in things like aliens or people from other worlds. That all seemed irrationally impossible, leaving his only conclusion to be that Alfred was insane, trapped in some extraterrestrial fantasy. Ivan knew how unhealthy it was to enable that sort of thing, but he didn't know what else to do about it. He didn't want to upset Alfred by telling him it wasn't real, and he was sure Alfred would hate him for turning him in. Still...he needed to do the right thing.

* * *

Ivan hung up the phone, feeling a little frustrated. It was after dinner, Alfred was watching something in the living room, and Ivan was in his bedroom for privacy. He sat on his bed with his laptop open in front of him. Sputnik was curled up in his lap and he absentmindedly stroked her fur while he punched in the number of his latest call. He pressed the phone to his ear and waited.

“St. Johnathan's Psychiatric Center, how may we help you?” A woman answered.

“Hello. I was wondering if you have a patient registered there by the name of Alfred Jones.”

“Hang on just a sec.” He could hear fingers clacking on a keyboard. “Um...we do not, sorry. Was there anything else?”

“No, that was all. Thank you.”

Ivan sighed and pressed the red 'end call' button. He had tried every hospital and facility in the county that cared for the mentally ill. Not a single one of them had an Alfred F. Jones registered in their system, even the ones that had out-patients.

Well, Alfred did have work tomorrow. If he had family looking for him, Ivan was sure his coworkers would have heard about it by now. And when Alfred went in, he'd probably be reunited with them. Ivan tried to imagine what would happen then. Would Alfred let his family and friends take him, or would he run away? And if he did run, would he return to Ivan or go somewhere else?

There was also the possibility he wasn't registered anywhere. Ivan didn't know how long Alfred had been on the streets for, or if anyone else even knew about his...issues.

Ivan had made a promise, though. He would keep Alfred safe. Even if that meant eventually handing him over to someone else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like this chapter is kind of slow, but also helps set up the story a little.  
> Also, I added some new tags because of a few last-minute changes. Gilbert is going to have bigger role than originally planned, and there will be some PruCan because I think it's cute.


	3. What To Expect

Ivan was diligently staring out the window, trying to figure how to execute the next scene in his book. He knew _what_ he wanted to have happen, he was just having trouble coming up with _how_ to make it happen. He kicked at the floor, spinning his chair so he could look over at Alfred. Maybe that would be more inspiring than the cloudy sky.

Alfred was sprawled out on the floor between the couch and the front door. He had his books opened and spread around him, along with a notebook and a magazine he'd gotten while walking to the bus stop from work. He said he'd spotted it on a news stand and thought it might be useful. _Science National: Crop Circles Explained._ What it would be useful for, Ivan had no idea.

“You aren't planning anything, are you?” He had asked when Alfred showed it to him. His answer was a suspicious “not at the moment.”

It had been a little over a week since Ivan brought Alfred home. They had somewhat of an established routine. Ivan would get up around 8 or 9 in the morning, Alfred would come out of his room not long after. They'd make breakfast, Ivan would work at his desk while Alfred either went to his own workplace or do...whatever he did in his room. Sometimes he would sit out in the living room while he scribbled in a notebook and thoroughly flipped through his books. And he always had Tony with him, tucked under his arm or cuddled against his chest. Ivan sometimes wondered if he brought the thing to work with him. Alfred did always take his backpack when he went out.

And so far, there had been no word of someone searching for him. Ivan made sure to look at the missing persons posters on the billboard in the grocery store when he went out, and also checked online for anything. In both the US and Canada. As it turned out, no one was even _looking_ for an Alfred F. Jones. Ivan supposed he could ask Eduard to do a background check. He was pretty good with computers. That seemed like going a bit far, though, and Ivan didn't want Eduard asking questions. Or telling Toris on him. His publisher would have a panic attack if he knew Ivan was keeping a nineteen-year-old in his apartment. And then one of Ivan's sisters were sure to find out and it would all turn into a mess.

No, Ivan would just keep quiet and let things be what they were.

Alfred sneezed. It happened just frequently enough for Ivan to notice, at least a few times a day. He really hoped Alfred wasn't getting sick.

Ivan stood and walked around to where Alfred was. He had a few of the crop circles sketched out in his notebook, and scribbled writing with arrows pointing to certain parts. Alfred's handwriting was small, quick, and illegible.

“What are you doing?”

“Research.”

“For?”

“Getting home.”

Ivan leaned on the back of the couch, crossing his arms over his chest. “You really think aliens have used these for communication?”

“No, the explanations your scientists give are more plausible, but it could still be useful. And _you_ still don't believe me.” Alfred looked up, pointing his pen accusingly at Ivan.

One corner of Ivan's lips quirked upward, “It is a lot to ask of someone.”

Alfred bit his lip and furrowed his brow, looking back down at his work, “yeah, I know. People who think they're the only ones out there always have the hardest time adjusting.”

“When you are the only known planet with intelligent life, is there a more understandable train of thought?”

Alfred shrugged, “well, if you have the mindset of 'there might be' or 'there is,' it's a lot easier to accept. I mean, if you're expecting it, then obviously it's not gonna come as a surprise to you. There's a lot of galaxies out there, Ivan, and humans haven't even made it out of their solar system. Imagine how many others haven't, either.”

“You did, supposedly.”

Alfred smirked, looking up at him over the rim of his glasses. “I did.”

“Hm.” Ivan contemplated Alfred's words, spinning them around in his mind. Interesting. He went back to his desk to continue writing.

Ivan hadn't been working for long when Alfred got up from his spot and went over to the bookcase next to the television. It was filled, the books squished together and some stacked on top of the rows. He scanned over the titles, ranging from romance to murder mysteries, how-to guides and biographies, even a few children's books. Books in Russian, both classic and modern, were mixed in with the English ones.

Alfred let out a happy “oh!” when he saw what was on the top shelf. He tilted up on his toes, reaching for whichever his fingers grabbed first. He wondered why he hadn't thought to look through Ivan's book collection sooner.

He flipped through one about the lunar landings. They used a rocket called the Saturn V to get there. Alfred looked up again. There was a much thinner book specifically about that rocket, tipped into the space the lunar landings book had been occupying. He grabbed that one as well, along with another about the Soviet side of the Space Race, and headed back to his spot on the floor.

The books were highly detailed and informative. The Saturn V one even had a diagram of the rocket's different parts. Alfred switched to a blank page in his notebook and began copying down the information. It wouldn't get him out of Earth's orbit, but it was a start.

Alfred pushed his fingers under his glasses to rub at his eyes. He had been feeling sluggish, and it was getting worse. He needed to stay motivated, though. To get home, see his brother again. Alfred frowned at the thought of Matthew, knowing how worried he must be. Alfred had promised he wouldn't be gone long, said it would be a quick trip, he wouldn't even go that far. And now he was stuck on a foreign planet, his best hope for survival resting in a single human. He glanced over at Ivan, typing rapidly on his laptop. At least Alfred found a good one to rely on, even he didn't believe the things Alfred told him. Which may or may not be a problem soon, depending on how serious Ivan was about that second rule.

No hugging. Hmph. Didn't Ivan realize how important that was? Well, Alfred still had people at work. Francis always enjoyed hugs, so that was a plus. Arthur would get flustered, but he never complained.

“You had better put those books back when you are done,” Ivan said without pausing his typing.

“I will.”

A few hours later Ivan spun in his chair, looking out the window when he heard rain splatter on the glass. It was only a light drizzle, nothing that would last long. He looked over at Alfred. The kid was asleep on the floor, his head resting on his notebook, between his hands. Ivan smirked, finding the sight rather cute.

Ivan glanced from Alfred to his laptop screen. He still had the Internet open, displaying his email. He ran the pads of his fingers over the keyboard, feeling stupid for even considering it enough to open a new tab.

_UFO crash, Albany NY, recent_ he typed into the search bar. Thousands of results came up, most of them for supposed sightings. Most were also on the websites of the incredibly paranoid who believed the world's politicians were actually lizard people. Ivan shook his head and closed out of the web browser. There was no way any of that was real.

Ivan decided to wake Alfred up before he drooled on his notebook.

He stood and walked over, kneeling to pat Alfred's hair. Now that he was feeling it dry, he found it to be incredibly soft and wispy. Like strands of gold silk.

Alfred woke with a start, his head popping up. He relaxed when he saw it was only Ivan. He peeled his tongue off the roof the of his mouth and lifted himself up on his elbows, “did I fall asleep?”

“Yes. You shouldn't sleep on the floor. Or on paper.”

Alfred hummed, adjusting his glasses.

Ivan eyed what Alfred had been working on. It looked like...rocket science? He glanced at Alfred, wondering if really he understood all of this. It was complex, beyond what was explained in the books he had picked out. Ivan couldn't read the handwriting, but he could vaguely guess what was going on from the sketches and what looked like math problems with weird symbols.

Before he could examine the work further, Alfred flipped it shut. He sat up, pulling Tony into his lap. Ivan stilled when Alfred grabbed his arm. He slumped against Ivan's side, almost cuddling.

“Alfred,” Ivan pushed him back up by his shoulders. This was the kind of thing he was not comfortable with. It wasn't necessarily that he didn't like it. It felt nice, he just wasn't used to it.

“Sorry,” Alfred mumbled, squeezing Tony even tighter.

Ivan felt a small amount of guilt twist his stomach. He knew Alfred really liked being physically close, maybe as some kind of security thing. Ivan couldn't help needing boundaries, though. Walls build after years of being ran away from and left behind.

Ivan shook the memories from his mind and stood, leaving Alfred on the floor. “Put everything away if you are done.”

* * *

Alfred unhooked the screen from his window and set it on the floor. It was dark out, Ivan was still awake and thought Alfred had gone to bed. Alfred had waited a little while until he deemed it was safe to do anything. He doubted Ivan would be too happy about his plan if he found out.

He threw his backpack out first and then climbed out, balancing himself on a thin ledge outside the window. Ivan's apartment was on the second floor of a brick building, giving him enough grip to climb down. When Alfred reached the ground, he pulled his hood up to obscure his eyes and swung his backpack onto his shoulder.

He took the bus into downtown, and went to the 24-hour convenience store. The cashier, a short redheaded woman, eyed him with suspicion as he entered. Alfred gave her a smile that he hoped made her feel better. The corner of her lip quirked upward, but she gave no other indication of relaxing. Her painted fingernails drummed rapidly on the counter top and there was a coffee-stained mug next to the cash register.

Alfred moved down the isles, looking for what he needed. He picked up a length of rope, bound in loops by a zip tie, and a pair of strong scissors. A decent sized wooden plank. A bag of gummy bears. He took the items up to the register and set them on the counter, smiling at the woman again. She gave a tired, caffeine-fueled smile back as she scanned the bar codes.

“I'll just put everything in here,” Alfred unzipped his empty backpack began loading everything in before the woman could put them in plastic bags. He'd have to carry the wood, it was too big to fit in anything.

She rattled off the total and Alfred opened a small pouch on the front of his backpack, where he kept his money. He picked out the required amount and handed it over. He received only a few cents in change back.

“Thanks,” Alfred chirped.

“No problem,” the woman said, “have a nice night.”

“You, too.”

With that, Alfred left and took the bus all the way to the outskirts of the city. He'd have to walk from there. He hopped off at the last stop, next to a gas station. It was the only structure for the next several miles. Alfred kept his head ducked to hide his eyes, in case anyone spotted him. Being caught in the dark was more dangerous than in the light of the city.

It was a while before he got to the spot he had picked out, far enough outside the city that the road was mostly dirt. The only sounds were his sneakers scuffing and crickets. The moon shone brilliantly overhead, illuminating everything. He ducked into the wheat field and knelt to get to work.

Alfred cut the zip ties on the rope, nailing each end to two corners of the wood with some nails and a hammer he'd found in Ivan's hallway closet. He tied knots at the base of each for added security.

Alfred stood and moved further into the wheat field, carrying his plank sideways so it didn't knock down any unnecessary stocks. Once he was near the middle of the field, he held the wood under his arm, ducking his head so he could reach his glasses. He calculated the pattern, the circumferences and distances needed, and then dropped the wood. He held his makeshift reins in both hands, the plank was heavy enough to not require added pressure. Alfred began, following the path his glasses displayed for him.

Alfred's research said it was best to start with circles, forming one around the other until there was a single circle in the size you wanted. He only wanted to test the practice, see what the purpose and potential of it was, so he wasn't planning anything big or elaborate.

The work was a pain, and he went as fast as he could. His hands ached after a few hours of tugging the plank around, and his feet were starting to hurt. It was also cold, the still night air chilled with the approach of winter.

When he deemed everything finished, he checked it over. A simple hexagon made by six circles, each connected by a straight line. It was a much smaller one than any example he'd seen, and he probably could have done better. It was enough for what he needed, though.

Alfred plucked his notebook and pen from his backpack and walked all around his design, taking notes about possible functions and uses. He scrapped an idea about implanting radio wave transmitters in the ground, deciding it could possibly bring too much attention if the wrong people picked up on them. And he probably wouldn't be able get a strong enough signal to reach home, anyway.

Deciding he was done for the night, Alfred packed up and headed back to the apartment. He was exhausted and sore, and couldn't wait to get some sleep. The sun was just beginning to come up over the horizon. At least he didn't have work tomorrow.

* * *

Ivan settled in the chair behind his desk and set his coffee mug off to the side. It was around 9:30 in the morning, he'd grabbed a simple bagel for breakfast, fed Sputnik. Alfred was still asleep and Ivan didn't feel like waking him up when he didn't have to.

Ivan answered a few important emails from Toris and Eduard, and then checked the news. He preferred sticking to Russian sites, usually only reading American ones for local things. He sipped his coffee, skimming over article headlines and summaries.

Ivan smirked, coming across something about a crop circle that had been discovered in a farmer's wheat field early that morning. It was a little ways outside the city. Alfred would find that interesting. He clicked on the title to open the article.

The picture showed a relatively small design compared to most, only six circles connected by lines. There was a second picture of the farmer, an middle-aged man that looked deeply concerned and mildly confused. He had called the authorities, thinking they'd able to catch the culprit.

“ _I'm just hoping UFO-hunters don't start coming around,_ ” he was quoted as saying.

The police also interviewed a woman, a friend of the farmer's daughter, saying a young man had come in to the store she worked at and made a suspicious purchase. Rope, scissors, a plank of wood, and some gummy bears. The police agreed he was a likely suspect and asked for a description.

“ _Late teens, I'd guess, maybe early twenties. Real cute, polite, smiled the whole time. Blonde hair, bright blue eyes, glasses. The only thing that seemed weird was what he bought._ ”

A sinking sensation overtook Ivan's gut as he read the description several times. No. No, he- there was no way. He would have heard something, some kind of noise indicating Alfred had left. The kid wasn't exactly quiet, unless he was doing research.

Research. The magazine.

Ivan printed out the article and marched to Alfred's room, tossing the door open. There was a bag of gummy bears on the nightstand, almost mockingly confirming his suspicion. Ivan wished it wasn't there.

Alfred was snuggled under the covers with Tony, sound asleep. Ivan yanked the blanket back. Alfred frowned, making some mixed sound between a purr and a whine as he curled in on himself. He was dressed only the pair of pajama pants Ivan had given him, his injuries healed enough to no longer need bandages.

“Stop, I'm still sleepy.” He reached blindly for his blanket, missing as it was moved out of reach. He finally opened his eyes to pout at Ivan. “What?”

Ivan shot him an irritated look, letting the paper flutter down onto his face. “Explain yourself.”

Alfred grumbled to himself as he sat up, grabbing the blanket back before looking at the paper. He snagged his glasses off the nightstand and slid them onto his nose. He perked up when he saw what the article was about, “oh~, someone found it. Sweet.”

“Nyet, this is not 'sweet.' You said you weren't planning anything.”

“And I wasn't...when you asked me. The plan formed later.”

Ivan narrowed his eyes, “this isn't funny.”

“I know. All that hard work and I don't even think the thing is gonna be useful,” Alfred rubbed his chin as he read.

“Alfred, you-” Ivan stopped to take in a deep breath, not wanting to get too upset with him. “Why would you do this?”

“I'm an alien trying to phone home, it was a necessary experiment.” Alfred waved the paper in Ivan's general direction, “like when you look up different ways to kill people.”

“That is completely different. I do not actually kill people, it is for made up stories.”

“So my research methods are a little more hands-on than yours. It's no big deal.”

“No big- this is illegal, Alfred, do you know how much trouble you will be in if this is traced back to you?”

Alfred fidget, picking at the blanket. At least he knew enough to _look_ guilty. “How could it be? I didn't leave any evidence.”

“The cashier at the convenience store gave a description of you.”

Alfred scanned over the article again. “Oh, come on. That could be anybody.”

Ivan sat down on the edge of the bed with a heavy sigh, “why did you feel the need to do this?”

“I told you-”

“The truth, Alfred. Enough of this alien nonsense.”

Alfred slumped back against the headboard, crossing his arms over his chest, “I don't know what else to tell you, Ivan. That is the truth and you refuse to believe it.”

Ivan stared Alfred in the eyes, “do honestly think you are an alien?”

“I _am_ an alien, it's not like there's another option if it's a fact.”

Ivan shook his head and stood to leave. “You had really better hope the police do not show up here.” He closed the door behind him.

Alfred slumped onto the mattress, weary and drained from more than just physical labor. He pulled Tony close, trying to make himself feel better.

Ivan collapsed into his desk chair, rubbing his forehead. He couldn't help but chuckle at the situation, now that he examined it from a more distant perspective. A crop circle? _Really?_ He wondered how Alfred managed to accomplish it all by himself. And what, exactly, he'd had in mind if it had turned out to be useful. He'd said it wasn't, which was probably a good thing.

Ivan decided he should come up with some kind of punishment. Not only did Alfred sneak out, he also broke the law, even if it was unlikely he would be caught. Vandalism, while not the worst crime he could commit, was not an okay thing to do.

Ivan looked up when Alfred came out of his room, now wearing jeans that hung low on his hips. He stopped in front of the desk, “Ivan, I have come to a conclusion.”

“And that would be?” Ivan sighed.

“Crop circles are useless.”

Ivan bit back his amusement. As far as he was concerned, Alfred was in trouble. “Then why did you make one?”

“No, see, that was the only useful part. Making one brought me to that conclusion. That's the point of experiments.” Alfred paced around to stand next to Ivan, leaning on the edge of the desk. “I mean, the only way you could really use one is if you know someone is looking for you from their ship. Like- hey, I'm over here! But you'd also have to know that they're in your general vicinity on the planet, which would be difficult if you're super lost because planets are big and these things are all over the place here. Seriously, what is it with humans and crop circles?”

“Alfred-” Ivan glanced out the window, trying to think of _something_ to do about Alfred being in trouble. He hadn't really planned on him doing anything destructive. What would work for someone who thought he was from outer space?

Ivan grabbed a pen out of a little cup that was full of them and handed it to Alfred, “no crop circles. Write that on the list of rules.”

“Fine by me, they're a pain in the ass anyway.” Alfred pushed off the desk and went to the kitchen.

That didn't work as a punishment, then. Alfred liked sweets, maybe he should take away the gummy bears. When Sputnik was in trouble, Ivan usually just took her stuffed rocket away for a little while.

Ivan stood and went to Alfred's room.

“What're you doing?” Alfred asked, appearing in the doorway.

“You're in trouble. I can't let you get away with these kinds of things.” Ivan dug Tony out from under the blanket and walked passed Alfred, down the hall, heading to his own room.

“What- hey, no, you can't-” Alfred followed after, trying to grab his toy back but Ivan held it over his head, well out of Alfred's reach. “Give it back. I need that!” He jumped, reaching for it.

“No, Alfred, you did something bad and this is your punishment-”

Alfred yanked Ivan's arm down and ran off with Tony so fast Ivan barely knew it happened.

“Alfred!”

He went back to his room, Ivan knew that much. He checked the closet and then found him under the bed, laying on his stomach with Tony squished between him and the floor. He glared at Ivan with far more intensity than Ivan thought was called for. It was just a stuffed toy, how could it be _that_ important to him?

Ivan pulled his scarf up to his nose. A gift from his older sister. He'd be pretty upset if someone took that away, maybe Tony was the same for Alfred.

Ivan settled on the floor, laying the same way Alfred was. “What is Tony? Why is it so important?”

“It records things. I'm using it to document everything and when I find a way home, I can show Mattie all about my stay here...”

So, Alfred thought there was was some kind of camera or something inside Tony, maybe a voice recorder. Ivan had caught him talking to it on a few occasions.

“Who is Mattie?”

“Matthew. Only I'm allowed to call him Mattie.”

“Alright, who is Matthew?”

“My brother.”

Ivan frowned, looking away. He knew the feeling, of far distances separating you from your loved ones. He only got to see his sisters once a year, twice if he was lucky. And Alfred thought entire galaxies were separating him from his brother. He couldn't take away the one thing Alfred had to hang on to. When Ivan looked back at him, Alfred was hugging Tony like he was about to cry. That face- Ivan really didn't like that face. It made him want to tear at whatever put it there. Which was himself. He wasn't sure what he would do if Alfred actually did start crying.

“Come here,” Ivan slid him out from under the bed by one of the belt loops on his pants. Alfred instantly went to hug him and this time, Ivan let him. He pat his head, attempting to be soothing.

“I'm sorry I made a crop circle,” Alfred mumbled. “Just don't do it again.” Alfred nodded, his face buried in Ivan's chest. His glasses pressed uncomfortably between them. Ivan decided to remove them before they broke.

“...are you really trying to find a way home?” If Alfred honestly thought he was a stranded alien, how did he plan to get off the planet?

Again, Alfred nodded.

Ivan sighed, rolling onto his back with Alfred still clinging to him. Did Matthew actually exist, or was he part of Alfred's little fantasy? While he thought, Ivan placed Alfred's glasses on his own face.

He was startled when text scrolled across the inside of the lenses.

**Unauthorized user - please remove device or enter password.**

Ivan yanked them off, turned them over in his hands. There were three small buttons down each of the temples, black to blend in and making them almost impossible to see if you weren't up close. He glanced down at the top of Alfred's head.

It wasn't exactly unheard of, he had read about glasses that worked as small computers. They were relatively new but still a thing that existed on Earth. But there was no way Alfred could afford them, they were incredibly expensive.

Maybe he came from a wealthy family and ran away for whatever reasons he may have. It probably had something to do with his mental state.

Yeah, Ivan would go with that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to post this on Sunday, but I decided to do it early. Other characters will start to be introduced within the next few chapters.
> 
> Thanks for all the feedback :) I've gotten a lot more than I expected, and I really appreciate it!


	4. Don't Panic

By the tail end of November, Christmas decorations had popped up around the city, covering everything in green and red, gold and silver. Wreaths hung on doors and strings of lights were twisted around poles and framing windows.

Ivan and Alfred made their way down the city sidewalk. Alfred needed a winter coat. It wouldn't be long before it started snowing and that sweater he always wore wasn't going to keep him warm. Ivan was also pretty sure Alfred was coming down with something, a cold probably, and wanted to take as many preventative measures as he could. He'd made sure there was cold medicine in the bathroom cabinet, and he was well stocked on teas, honey, and lemon. He also planned to make a warm soup sometime that week.

A bell jingled as they entered a secondhand clothing store. It would have to do for now. Alfred insisted on paying for his own things, claiming a high amount of independence, and couldn't afford something from the regular stores. Ivan couldn't either, really. While he could pay the bills with his writing, it didn't offer much more than that.

Alfred disappeared down an isle of men's coats, near the back, and Ivan wandered around aimlessly as he waited. His phone vibrated in his pocket. Ivan pulled it out and unlocked it, spotting a notification in the corner of the screen.

Recently he had been doing research on UFOs, alien theories, supposed sightings, crashes, Area 51, the Roswell Incident. It was all so...strange, however necessary it was. He thought he should know about these things if he was going to take care of Alfred properly. Ivan tried to find reliable sources, although that was difficult with such a topic. He did find one blog, titled _Find the Truth_ , that seemed like it might be worthwhile. It debunked most photos, videos, and proclaimed evidence, and was still skeptical of what it couldn't. It gave explanations, and links to actual scientists and certified experts. And it made no mention of lizard politicians.

He had been messaging with the owner of the blog, asking vague questions about what someone should do, theoretically, with an extraterrestrial should one be found. It may help him understand Alfred's mind a little better, what kinds of ideas he might have about himself, what kinds of things he might try. After the crop circle incident, Ivan wanted to be better prepared.

He kept himself anonymous, only giving out the smallest hints about himself if necessary. The only thing he knew about the blogger was that, while skeptical of supposed evidence, he was a definite believer in alien lifeforms. Ivan said he didn't really believe, but still wanted to look into the idea. The notification told Ivan he had been sent a message from _Find the Truth_.

 _To the guy who doesn't believe. Even back then, they said it's possible._ Following the text was a video, an interview with a prominent scientist from the 1960's, about alien civilizations. Ivan clicked play and lowered the volume so only he could hear it. The picture was slightly grainy and the colors faded, as recordings from that decade were.

The interviewer asked about aliens, if they were out there.

“ _It's certainly plausible,_ ” the scientist in the video said. Other scientists had said the same. Ivan glanced up to where he could see the top of a golden head over a rack of clothes. Plausible didn't mean 'proven,' and it certainly didn't mean Alfred was one. That thought was...it felt so weird in his mind, to think that in the deadly void that was space there might be people. Growing up, he remembered always hearing how unique the Earth was, and how it was created under such specific conditions to support life.

For that to happen more than once. Plausible, maybe. Proven, no. In all their years of space exploration, in sending out probes and satellites and going to the moon, it still had yet to be proven.

Ivan stopped the video and pocketed his phone. He'd respond later. Alfred was returning to him.

“Ivan, I found one,” Alfred had already paid and put the coat on.

“That was quick.” It was a little big on him, navy blue with large buttons. The sleeves covered his palms and the hem reached the tops of his legs. The material was soft, and had a fake gray fur around the collar, cuffs, and lining the inside.

“It's warm,” Alfred smiled, and his eyes were somewhat bright. They were losing their usual shine with his worsening condition. Alfred turned one way and then the other, “how does it look?”

“Very nice,” Ivan gave a small smile. Alfred purred happily. He may be strange, with the noises he made and his neon blue eyes, but that didn't mean he wasn't human.

“Can we get hamburgers for lunch?” Alfred asked as they left the store.

Ivan held the door open for Alfred to go out first, “we just ate a few hours ago.”

“Okay then, for dinner.”

Ivan smirked down at him, “after the stunt you pulled the other night? I don't think so.” He also wanted to feed Alfred healthy things, not junk from fast food places.

Alfred pouted, “I said I was sorry.”

“Da, you did,” Ivan said as they started down the sidewalk. He also got away with it. Ivan had let him keep Tony and the gummy bears, and couldn't come up with anything else. Punishing the kid was just so...ugh, Alfred made it impossible. With those _faces_ , and his _reason_ to make the thing in the first place. He was really good at getting to Ivan's soft spot.

“Arthur used to get us lunch from a place called McDonald's, on work days,” Alfred said, “we'd sit in the back room and eat hamburgers and fries -he always called them chips for some reason- and this fizzy black drink. Cola, I think he called it? It was really sweet and felt funny in my mouth.”

“That is what you were being fed?” Ivan shot him a concerned glance, burying his nose in his scarf. That must have been before Ivan started sending Alfred to work with homemade lunches.

“Not always. When Francis found out that's all I was eating, he started bringing in stuff he made. He makes really good food.”

“I see,” Ivan furrowed his brow. Who, exactly, where these people? He had heard a little about them, they sounded like an interesting pair. Ivan wondered if maybe they were some kind of couple. One was never mentioned without the other coming up as well.

Ivan blinked when Alfred took a loose hold on his hand. He had gotten a little more used to Alfred's need to touch. Not necessarily comfortable with it, just...used to it. It was nice, and occasionally he'd feel a compulsion to touch back. He never really did, though. Only small things that didn't feel like they counted.

Ivan also realized this was the first time they'd gone out anywhere together. He couldn't help a small smile. He usually only met up with people for work reasons, it had been a long while since he had a friend to go out with. And now he had Alfred.

“Ivan, let's go to the park for a little bit.”

“Okay.”

The park had two sides. One a large field for sports, and the other a playground for children, with a gravel path running between the two. A few piles of dead leaves were scattered around, swept up by whatever caretaker the park had, and there was forest area on the other side of the playground.

Alfred jogged over to the swing set, set his backpack aside, and sat down. He pushed himself back to fly forward. Ivan sat on the swing next to him, his hands in his pockets. He rocked back and forth lightly, keeping his feet on the ground.

“This is where I stayed for a while,” Alfred said, “before you said I could live with you.”

“Here?” Ivan scanned over the area. “Where did you sleep?”

Alfred pointed, “in the yellow tube thing.”

Ivan followed his finger. A plastic tunnel, connecting two sides of the jungle gym. He was starting to gather that Alfred liked being in small spaces, places that felt cozy and safe.

Alfred planted his feet, skidding against wood chips to stop. He jumped and ran for the playground. Ivan followed at a casual pace, watching him. Alfred wobbled up a web of rope that lead to a platform and turned to see where Ivan was. He ducked into one of the tunnels, out of sight, and then popped out the opposite end. He jumped off the platform he was on and hid behind a short, plastic wall.

As Ivan approached, Alfred peeked around the wall, his face playfully serious, and his hands clasped with his middle and forefingers pointed out. He aimed them at Ivan.

“Pew-pew!” And then ran to duck behind a slide.

Ivan stood at the open center of the jungle gym, watching with a small smile as Alfred pretended to fire laser beams at him. He couldn't remember the last time he'd played on a playground, he was too old for such things now, being two years from thirty. Less, he realized with a frown. His birthday was coming up at the end of next month, and he'd be twenty-nine. Was he that old already? That also meant he was ten years older than Alfred, depending on when the kid's birthday was. Ivan should probably find that out.

“Ivan, you're an invading alien and I have to protect the planet from you!”

Ivan watched Alfred climbed onto a platform before crouching behind a barred railing. “I thought you were supposed to be the alien?”

“We both are, but you're pretending, and I'm gonna save Earth from your invasion.”

“Is that so.”

“Yeah.” He held his hands up the same as before, one eye closed, and- “pew-pew-pew!”

Ivan faked a gasp, placing a hand on his chest. “You got me.”

Alfred huffed at him, “you're a terrible actor.”

Ivan only shrugged. He was a writer, not a performer. He sighed and looked down at his boots. Was this okay? For Ivan to be playing around with someone who wasn't even twenty yet. Social norms had never been of much importance to him. It didn't seem like a bad thing, for Ivan to keep Alfred around, especially when the kid needed someone to look after him.

“Ivan, the sun is setting.” Alfred was standing now, facing the light.

Ivan turned, raising a hand to block the sun from his eyes, “da, it is.” He hadn't noticed, and now everything was bathed in a faded orange light. The sun was setting earlier and earlier every day.

“We should go home.”

Ivan looked back at Alfred. Those eyes always found new ways to mesmerize him. It was as if they were almost sparkling in the fading light. “Nyet, let's stay a little longer.” Ivan preferred being out at night. There were fewer people, it was quieter, like the world was trying to rest but couldn't.

“It's gonna be dark soon.”

“I know.” Although, Ivan thought, if Alfred was getting sick, it might not be the best idea to keep him out in the cold for too long.

Alfred frowned, watching the empty sports field. There wasn't anyone else around, not really. Someone had gone by on the path when they arrived, dressed in workout clothes on a evening run, and a couple walking their dogs.

Two new people were walking down the path, slow and scanning the area. Alfred recognized them.

He jumped down and ran for his backpack, still sitting by the swings.

“Alfred?” Ivan hurried after him, hoping Alfred hadn't decided to just leave without him.

“Ivan, we need to go back now.” He looked scared.

“What's wrong?” Ivan glanced over at the people, a man and a woman, both dressed in suits and jackets, like they'd just gotten out of a business meeting.

“Them, they're what's wrong,” Alfred said, voice quick and low. “They're the ones from last time.”

“What last time-”

“Before you found me, when I was running, they're the ones I was running form.” Alfred tugged on Ivan's sleeve, biting his lip, “we need to go before it's too dark.”

“Why before-”

“ _Please_ , Ivan!” Alfred glanced over his shoulder at the people. They'd spotted them and were walking toward them.

Alfred ran. Right for the trees, and it took a moment for Ivan follow. He did as best he could. Alfred was still faster, despite his shorter legs. It was darker in the forest, and the leaves crunched noisily underfoot, twigs snapped. Ivan tripped on a root bent up from the ground and caught himself on a tree, his palms scraping against the bark.

“Alfred!” There was just enough light to see by. Alfred was several feet ahead. “Alfred, where are you going?”

Alfred kept running, deeper and deeper into the trees and the brush and the vines hanging from branches. Ivan had to bat them away, almost getting his hand tangled in one.

He halted. Sounds -footsteps- were coming from behind him. And voices.

“Did you see it?”

“Just some kids. They ran off somewhere, though. Maybe they've seen it.”

“If it's even still around here. It doubt it after we chased it off last time.”

“Whatever. Our orders are to catch it. We need to look.”

Ivan glanced around. He couldn't see Alfred. The people were getting closer. His heart was racing, pounding against his ears and his ribs. He wanted to call for Alfred, but the other people would hear. What were they looking for?

Alfred's purr, quiet and short. Straight ahead, Alfred was leaning around a tree not too far from Ivan. His head was down, the hood of his sweater pulled up. Ivan hurried to get to him, taking long strides and not caring about the noise he kicked up.

It was dark in the forest, the vanishing sun casting long shadows and streaks of twilight. Ivan reached Alfred just as he took off again, this time grabbing Ivan's hand so he could keep up. He had to be careful not to trip over himself.

“Stop running, Alfred, you will make them suspicious.”

Alfred wasn't listening.

Ivan's efforts were useless when Alfred tripped, stumbled, and sent both of them tumbling down a slope. They hit the ground and rolled, leaves and other debris sticking to theirs clothes and hair, dirt and mud smearing on the hands and faces.

They came to a stop at the bottom, Ivan half on top of Alfred. They were both messes, lying there on the forest floor, with bits of leaf and tiny twigs sticking to their hair and coats.

Ivan lifted himself onto his hands to see Alfred better. “Are you alright?”

Alfred had his eyes squeezed shut. He was shaking, and gripped the front of Ivan's coat. He opened his eyes slowly and everything seemed to stand still at that moment.

“I really need you to believe me right now.”

Ivan had been around Alfred in the dark before. They hadn't been facing each other those times, or they had been under a streetlight. The shadows from the trees, himself, the vanishing light, made it dark enough. And Ivan could only stare, his lips parted with words he didn't have.

Alfred's eyes. They were fluorescent, like the glow sticks children snap and run around with on summer nights. _That_ was not biologically possible. And he knew Alfred didn't have contacts, glasses would be pointless with those. Even computer ones, they still had prescription lenses. It was why he wore them all the time.

“Your eyes...”

“If they see, they'll know I'm what they're after. Please, Ivan, just for right now. Just believe me for right now, I don't care if you don't later.”

Snapping and crunching weren't far away, those people were getting closer.

Ivan was still frozen. How was this _real_? Alfred couldn't actually be-

Alfred sat up, pushing Ivan off of him, and got to his feet, yanking Ivan up with him. “C'mon, we really need to hide.”

There were _things_ to decided on in a very short amount of time.

Did Ivan believe Alfred was an alien? That was...a lot to think about. Too much for right then. For the moment, the answer was a head-spinning 'okay.'

Would he protect Alfred from those people? If they really were after him...yes.

The most urgent question: How?

Ivan grabbed Alfred's wrist and pulled him over to a large, tall tree with a low hanging branch. He bent his knees to lift Alfred up, wrapping his arms around his legs. Alfred steadied himself by grabbing Ivan's shoulders. “Climb. As high as you can.”

“There aren't enough leaves to hide in.” Alfred was reaching anyway. He hoisted himself up, straddling the branch, and carefully stood to reach the next one. “How am I gonna get down?”

“Do not worry about that. Keep quiet.” Ivan watch closely, afraid he might fall. Alfred was not the best climber, as was evident by the way he wobbled. He had to make small leaps to get reach some of the branches. He was very high up and when he couldn't go any higher, he pressed himself against the trunk. Glowing eyes peered down at Ivan before hiding away. It was dark enough now that Alfred almost blended in with the tree. Almost.

A bright beam of light swung over Ivan and he raised a hand to block it from his eyes.

“Excuse me. Sir?”

“Yes?” Ivan's palms were sweating, the scrapes he'd acquired stinging faintly. He swallowed a lump that had lodged itself in his throat, and the back of his neck felt hot and cold at the same time.

The man and woman were at the top of the hill. Staring. Watching. Ivan's heart was trying to jump out of his chest. He leveled his breathing, squinting against the light until they finally lowered it.

“May we ask what you're doing out here?” The woman asked. Ivan shrugged, the movement jerky and unsettled. “Out for a walk. Do you work in the park?”

They came down the slope, steps awkward and overly careful in the muddy leaves.

“No,” the man pulled a badge out of his coat pocket. FBI. They ran from the FBI. “I'm special agent Davidson, this is my partner, agent Masters. We've had reports of strange sightings in this area. This might sound odd but, have you see any glowing eyes recently?”

“Can't say that I have.” If he wanted to keep Alfred safe. Ivan's nerves made a small smile spread on his face. “They sent federal agents for this? I'd think it would be more suited for Animal Control.”

The pair glanced at each other. “It's...a bit of a special case,” Agent Masters said.

“How so?”

“We can't say.”

Ivan nodded, implying he understood. “Well, I haven't seen anything usual.”

Agent Davidson swung the flashlight over him again, “you sure you're just out for a walk?”

Ivan rubbed his aching palms together, “I...fell.” And that was not a lie. He did fall.

“You alone out here?”

Ivan forced himself not to look up the tree. “As far as I am aware, yes.”

“We saw two people on the playground before,” Agent Masters said, “they ran over here. Were you one of them?”

Ivan rolled his tongue around in his mouth. It felt too dry. “Ah, yes. That was- me and my friend. He went home, though.” If he said 'no,' they would probably know he was lying. The forested area wasn't too big.

Agent Davidson raised an eyebrow, “what were you running for?”

“Mm...a game. Tag. He likes games. But then he had to go home.”

Agent Masters tilted her head to the side, “can we see some ID?”

“Of course.” Ivan patted himself down. His wallet didn't fall out, did it? No, it was in his pants pocket. He opened it and showed them. His residency card, proof that he was a legally living in the country. He wasn't surprised they had asked, knowing it was probably because of his accent.

They examined it closely before stepping back and Ivan put his wallet away. He prayed they weren't the types to be overly suspicious foreigners.

“A grown man from Russia playing with...some kid?” Agent Masters said. The way she said it, by 'kid' she meant 'person underage.'

Ivan swallowed again. That lump was still there. “He is not a kid, just young. My friend.” Perfectly legal. Emphasis on 'friend.' He really wanted them to go away now. How many questions could they ask?

The hairs on the back of Ivan's neck raised when Agent Davidson looked up. Too close to the tree, where Alfred was still hiding, pressing himself against the trunk as much as he could. It was dark and that lump was too high up to tell if it was a person or not, but if the agent used his flashlight...

Agent Davidson sighed and looked back down. Ivan relaxed by a fraction. “I think we're done here. You might want to head home, they don't know what the reports are about. Could be dangerous.”

Ivan choked down a nervous giggle. Alfred, dangerous? “I will.”

“Thank you for you time,” Agent Masters said.

Ivan nodded once, glad they were finally heading back up the slope. He let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. _Finally._

Ivan waited. And waited. Until there was silence, filled only by crickets and leaves rustled by a breeze. Until it was long enough that those agents had to be long gone, far enough for Alfred to be safe if he came down.

Except that it was dark and the kid- kid? Alien? Ivan shook his head. That wasn't what he needed to think about just yet. Alfred was still up the tree, not the best at climbing, and it was dark. Would he be able to even see the branches enough to get down?

“Alfred?”

Two glowing, neon blue orbs appeared high above Ivan's head, “are they gone?”

“Da. You need to come down now.”

Rustling, clothes against bark. “I can't...my foot doesn't reach.”

“You need to try, Alfred. Hold onto one branch and lower yourself to the next.” Easier said than done, Ivan knew that. They couldn't stay out there all night, though. “Can you see?”

“Yeah.” More rustling. Ivan could only make out shapes and movement, no details. The moon was in a waning phase, a good portion of light blocked out, along with shadows from surrounding trees. The light from his phone wouldn't be anywhere near strong enough to help.

Alfred squeaked as his hand slipped and he had to scramble to catch himself. “I'm okay.”

When Alfred reached the lowest branch, Ivan tried to help him down. “I'll catch you- oof!” He was on his back, Alfred now on top of him. “I did not tell you to jump.”

“You said 'catch,' I figured it was implied.”

“Just get up.”

They stood and Ivan brushed off as best as he could, and then started brushing Alfred off when he didn't do it himself.

“Do you believe me now?”

Ivan looked up at his eyes. Fluorescent. Neon. Alien? He had always imaged little green men in flying saucers when the word was mentioned. Alfred looked so incredibly...human, with such subtle differences. Could he really be from a different planet, somewhere galaxies away?

Alfred gripped the front of Ivan's coat, “do you?”

Ivan paused for a moment. “Let's go home.”

They were both filthy, and he needed time to let everything sink in. Alfred purred, hopeful that Ivan finally believed him. Ivan let him hold onto his arm as they made their way back to the park, to the bus stop, the apartment.

Alfred wasn't delusional, or paranoid.

There were people -the FBI, apparently- after him.

Because he was an...alien. From space.

If that was all true, _why was he on Earth?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Those FBI agents probably won't be important characters. I might change them later, I don't know yet. It depends on where the story goes.
> 
> Thanks so much for all the comments and kudos :)


	5. Believe

Everything felt fake, like Ivan was watching a movie, or imagining a book playing out in his head.

The first thing he'd done after they got back to the apartment was put Alfred in the shower. It was his first time bathing on his own since Ivan brought him home. He was healed enough do so, he didn't really need Ivan in there. It had become more routine than actual help. And while he was in there, Ivan had a glass of vodka. He didn't drink too often, usually only when he was particularly stressed, the night seemed appropriate. There was an...alien...in his shower. Living in his apartment. Because he found it on the street. And felt the need to take care of it.

It? No, that was wrong. Him. Alfred was a 'him.'

There were so many questions, Ivan didn't know which one to start with. _How did he get here?_ He also wanted further proof. It wasn't necessarily that he didn't believe Alfred, he just...there had to be more than glowing eyes and purring that made him something other than human. If there was, it would certainly make everything feel more solid. _Where did he come from?_ Alfred had never mentioned a specific planet before, or named a galaxy. He was always so busy trying to figure out a way home, he didn't bother to explain what 'home' was, or where. And Ivan had never bothered to ask, thinking he was crazy or making it all up.

Ivan turned his head away as the break of dawn assaulted his eyes. He couldn't tell if he had actually slept or not. Sunlight flooded in through his bedroom window, over rooftops, and nearly blinded him where he lay on his bed. He hadn't changed, or even gotten under the blanket. His long-since empty glass sat on the nightstand.

Sputnik mewed as she jumped up onto the bed and crawled onto his chest. She sniffed his face, tickling him with her whiskers, meowing and seeking attention. She wasn't used to seeing him awake this early.

Ivan scratched under her chin with a finger, letting their noses bump together. “You knew all along, didn't you?” She mewed again. He winced as her claws kneaded into his collar.

Ivan rubbed his eyes and groaned. He still hadn't showered yet, he didn't even hear the water shut off or Alfred come out of the bathroom. He hoped Alfred went to bed at a descent time, he had work in a few hours. Ivan sat up, dropping his hands to his lap. Whatever small amount of sleep he might gotten was useless, he felt groggy and drained. He made sure to put his glass in the sink before getting in the shower, and Sputnik kept trying to get his attention.

The hot water and soap stung his palms. They were still skinned from the night before, and bits of leaf and twig were stuck in his hair. Ivan watched the dirt and mud and debris slip away down the drain, absentmindedly hoping it wouldn't clog. He washed his hair last, letting the near-scalding water soak into his scalp. What time was it, anyway? Far too early.

The handles squeaked as he shut the water shut off, and then he stepped out, wrapping a towel around his waist. He could hear Sputnik meowing outside the door.

“What is with her today?” He mumbled, staring at himself in the mirror over the sink. He was cleaned up now, but he still looked as exhausted as he felt. He wasn't sure he'd actually sleep if he tried, though.

As soon as he opened the door, Sputnik was circling his feet. He had to be careful not trip over her as he made his way to his room. She couldn't be hungry, she always ate at the same times, and it was too early for that. Ivan dried off and pulled on a pair of clean boxer-briefs and jeans.

“What?” He asked, almost exasperatedly, as Sputnik started meowing louder, perched on the foot of the bed. When he turned to her, she jumped down and scurried out of the room. Ivan followed, trying to figure out what she wanted so badly. She never made this much of a fuss, even when she was a kitten.

Sputnik stopped in front of Alfred's bedroom door and pawed at it, trying to get in. Ivan opened the door just enough for her, quiet in case it woke Alfred up. Sputnik went in as soon as she was able and Ivan pushed the door open further. Early morning sun filled the room, tinting everything in soft, pale light. He hadn't been expecting to find Alfred sitting up. He was staring blankly at his lap, his eyes dark and devoid the light they should have been carrying. His glasses were set on the nightstand and Tony was on the floor, next to the bed, as though it had been dropped and forgotten. Sputnik bit onto an arm and jumped up onto the bed with it, lying down next to Alfred. He watched, making no other movement.

“Alfred?”

Alfred looked up slowly, his expression unchanging. He didn't move or say anything as Ivan stepped into the room and moved closer, stopping at his bedside.

Ivan placed a hand on his forehead. He didn't seem to have a fever. “Are you alright?”

Alfred only purred quietly, his eyes closing as he leaned into the touch.

“What's wrong?”

Instead of answering, Alfred reached and wrapped his arms around Ivan's waist, pulling him close. He buried his face in Ivan's stomach, squeezing tighter and tighter until it started to become uncomfortable.

“Alfred?” Ivan placed a hand on Alfred's head, trying to get him to say something. He tried pulling Alfred's arms away, but that only made him hold on tighter, so Ivan let him stay there for now.

Silence filled the room, and Ivan didn't know what to do other than to just stand there. Alfred had never acted this way before. He always tried to hug and touch, but his movements weren't so sluggish. His eyes should be bright, not lifelessly dull, and he was being far too quiet.

After several seconds, Alfred finally mumbled, “are you upset with me?”

“Nyet, why would I be?” Ivan again tried to release Alfred's grip from around his waist. Again, he was met with resistance and even tighter squeezing. It was almost starting to hurt.

“You didn't talk to me at all after those people left, and you made me bathe by myself.”

That was cause to think he was upset with him? It...well, it was because of Alfred that he had done those things, but that didn't mean it was Alfred's fault. Entirely.

“Why didn't you show me?”

“Mm?”

“Your eyes.”

“Thought you saw before...”

“I didn't.”

Alfred grunted and buried his face further in Ivan's stomach. Ivan tried to pull his arms away again. “Alfred, let go.”

Alfred hesitated before slowly moving back. He frowned, seeming more upset than usual by Ivan's refusal to give him physical attention.

“You believe me now, though. Right?” Alfred asked. “You believe that I'm not from Earth now.”

Ivan hadn't answered him last night, and he still couldn't make the words leave his mouth. “Are you hungry? I can make breakfast.” It was far too early for that, really, but it sounded like a nice distraction.

“You're changing the subject.”

“Alfred...you should get some rest, you look like you've barely slept.”

“You look like you haven't slept in a year, _you_ get some rest.”

Ivan sucked in a breath and scrubbed his hands over his face. “Fine. You know what, you're right. I am going to get some sleep.” He turned and started for the door.

“Ivan!”

Ivan turned when he heard Alfred tumble to the floor. The sheets were tangled around his legs, mostly still on the bed. He sat up, rubbing where his temple collided with the floor. Ivan went to help him up. Alfred shoved his hands away, trying to wiggle his legs free as he tugged on the sheets.

“Alfred...” That bothered Ivan more than he had expected it would. Alfred had never pushed him away before.

“Why do you refuse to believe me? You _saw_ proof and you still-” He cut himself off with a low growl.

“I did not say I don't.”

“You won't say you _do_ , either.” Alfred huffed, sneezed, and crossed his arms over his chest looking rather defeated. His legs were still all confined, his strength diminished by whatever illness he was coming down with. Or had already, Ivan wasn't sure.

Alfred let out an indignant squeaked when Ivan slid his hands under his arms and hauled him to his feet. He tore himself away, crawling over the bed to sit on the far end, away from Ivan. He snatched Tony on his way, and Sputnik padded over to curl up in his lap.

“Sputnik believes me,” he muttered, stroking her fur.

Ivan stared for a moment, at his cat and his...his what? His alien? Except Alfred wasn't _his_ , even if he did take care of him. And he knew what Sputnik was doing. Whenever someone didn't feel well, she always sat on them, or around them, until they were better.

Ivan sat on the bed, leaning back against the headboard. “What planet are you from?”

Alfred peeked over his shoulder, eying Ivan suspiciously, wondering if he actually meant it as a genuine question or if he was just humoring him. “Apollonia. In the Galilea galaxy.”

“You look human.”

Alfred shrugged. “To me you look Apollonian. Except that your eyes don't glow, and you hate hugs, and you're boring.”

Ivan almost smirked. “Is that what you think?”

Alfred threw a glance over his shoulder. “Francis likes hugs, so I guess you're not all like that. I think Arthur secretly likes them, too, even if gets all weird about it.”

The corners of Ivan's lips twitched down. He wasn't the only one Alfred tried to hug? He really hoped he wasn't going around hugging random people, that could get dangerous. It also sounded like something Alfred might try. “You really enjoy physical affection.”

“It's, uh- what do you call it here, we're like-” Alfred waved his hand around, trying to think of the name, “companion animals? We need to be close with others, even physically. Mattie explained it to me once. It releases some chemical or something in our brain, and if we go too long without it, we get sick and- and sometimes, if it's long enough...we'll die.”

Ivan stared at Alfred's bare back. That was why he'd been sneezing, why he'd been sluggish and losing strength, and why the light in his eyes was gone. He was sick, but not with anything Ivan had thought.

“That's why I have my Friend,” Alfred fidgeted with Tony in his hands, “we can hug them and it sort of helps, for a little. It's not the same, though, so it's nothing we can live off of.”

Ivan swallowed thickly. “I thought- you said it records things.”

“Yeah, it does that, too.”

“Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?”

“Would you have believed me?”

Ivan looked away. No, he wouldn't have. He would have assumed Alfred was making it up, or that it was all in his head. He still seemed so _human_ , it was difficult to believe he was something else. But he was, with his eyes that glowed in the dark and that strange little purr he made, and other things that Ivan probably hadn't discovered yet.

Alfred's entire form drooped and he gave a small sneeze. Ivan wasn't used to this, to having someone who needed him and relied on him. He would be lying if he said didn't like it. And if it meant Alfred staying alive...Ivan leaned forward to grab his arm and pull him closer. Alfred turned over onto his stomach and pressed himself against Ivan's chest, pressing his ear over his heart. Sputnik followed, moving to lay across Alfred's lower back. There were still so many things Ivan wanted to ask, needed to know, and he still wasn't sure where to begin.

“How did you get here?”

Alfred remained silent for several moments before mumbling, “technically, I stole a ship.”

Ivan's brow raised, “you stole-?”

“I mean, I didn't _steal_ it. I had to make some minor repairs and I thought I'd take it for a little test drive. But then I went too far, and the homing signal was dropped, and I kind of got super lost.”

“Were you supposed to...test it?” Ivan asked.

“No. But I designed the damn thing, even helped build it, and they barely let me fly it at all.” Alfred explained with a huff. “Something about not having enough pilot training or something. But I needed to make sure it worked, I couldn't just tell them the repairs were made without making sure I did them right.”

“You... _you_ designed it?”

“Yeah, I'm a spaceflight engineer for the Global Space Exploration Agency. It was our first interstellar mission into deep space. The podships were supposed to be able to go farther than main ship, and they had me go with them in case something went wrong.”

“But why Earth? Why did you come _here_?”

“That was an accident. I was only gonna do a quick flyby since I was in the neighborhood, take a quick look at all the planets over here. The flight overall went well, and then something hit me hard enough that it knocked me into Earth's gravitational pull.”

“...how did you survive the fall?” Ivan asked quietly. He felt like he was listening to a story, some science fiction adventure dreamed up someone else's head. And he was, aside from the part where it was _real_.

“'Cause I'm an awesome engineer. I figured something like this could happen. Space exploration is super dangerous, you know? So I made sure they only used the strongest, most durable materials.” Alfred pressed his ear harder over Ivan's heart, “I'm glad you found me, though. Even if you don't like hugs. And didn't believe me.”

Ivan felt his heart do a tiny flop. He hadn't known Alfred for very long, and it was one of the things that made people uncomfortable around him. He always cared too much, too soon, and they'd say he was overbearing. It made him happy to know Alfred enjoyed staying with him. Ivan lifted his hand to pet Sputnik, letting his forearm rest against Alfred's back.

“I lied to federal agents for you. You'd better be worth it.” And he was. Alfred was something humans had been looking for since the first astronomers studied the stars. For centuries they had been seeking proof of alien life, and now it was resting on Ivan's chest for survival. Alfred, for while he was on Earth, was something incredibly precious and it occurred to Ivan, as he thought this, exactly what that meant. If anyone, any scientist or government, got their hands on him, Alfred would be locked in some lab for endless tests, experiments, and studying. They'd poke and prod at him for the rest of his life.

How was Ivan supposed to protect something like this?

Ivan was jolted awake by the sound of knocking. He didn't remember falling asleep, or even laying down. How long had it been? The sun was high, filling the room with afternoon light. More knocking sounded, coming from- his heart jumped to his throat as the weight of Alfred lying on him registered and he tried to think. Someone was knocking at the front door. Who-? Toris hadn't made any plans to stop by, he always called first. Although, there were those few times Felix dragged him over entirely unannounced. Ivan slowly and carefully rolled Alfred off and onto to his side and got up. Alfred stirred, his eyes fluttering open. They were still dark, but not quite as dull as before.

“Stay quiet, and stay here,” Ivan said. He had never felt so paranoid before, but he couldn't help wondering if whoever was knocking was there to try to take Alfred away. If somehow those FBI agents from the night before had found out what -who- Ivan was hiding and tracked him down.

Alfred nodded and glanced toward the open door, at the hallway. Ivan hurried down to his own room to throw on whatever t-shirt he grabbed out of his closet first and went to answer the door. As he drew closer, he could hear low bickering on the other side and paused to listen.

“Are you _sure_ this is the right place? Are you absolutely certain?”

“Yes, I am sure. I even checked with him. This is exactly what he wrote down.”

“You know how he is, what with his-”

Ivan unlocked the door and swung it open, hoping he appeared casual. It was two men, one slightly taller than the other, both shorter than himself. Ivan observed, trying to figure who they were, why they were here, and what they wanted.

The first was in his early thirties, Ivan guessed. Blonde hair in a loose ponytail, light stubble, dark blue eyes. He was dressed fashionably in jeans, black shoes, and a dark gray pea coat, a white scarf poking out from the collar. Ivan would peg him as some kind of artist, maybe a painter or one of those bakers who made unnecessarily fancy cakes.

The second man was shorter, possibly younger. Sandy blonde hair styled in a choppy mess and unusually thick eyebrows hovering over emerald green eyes. He was dressed in dark jeans stuffed into boots, a black jacket with a few bands patches and buttons, and a red plaid scarf tucked around his neck. A large bag hung off his shoulder. Ivan thought he looked like a band member, or someone involved with music in some way.

They both looked up at Ivan with surprise, like he wasn't the one they were expecting to find on the other side of the door.

Ivan briefly wondered how the two went together. That was not important. “Can I help you?”

The one with the ponytail looked down at a paper in his hands and then back up at Ivan with a soft smile, “I'm afraid we're a bit lost. We're looking for our friend, Alfred Jones. Do you know if he lives in this building?”

Ivan eyed the men again, the shorter one eyed back. He had a decent guess of who they were. “Da, he lives here. Why?”

“Because we're bloody worried about him, is why. He missed work and didn't even bother to call, the-”

Ponytail put a hand on Eyebrows' shoulder, “my name is Francis, and this is Arthur. And you would be...?”

“Ivan.”

“Alfred is a friend of ours. Would it be alright for us to visit with him for a bit?” Francis asked.

Ivan glanced over his shoulder, in the direction of Alfred's room. His guess had been right. They were people Alfred saw most days, worked with, spent time time with. They were probably safe enough to let in, and Alfred would be happy to see them. He nodded and stepped aside to let them in.

“Thank you,” Francis said, stuffing the paper into his coat pocket, “we're so sorry to barge in on you like this, but as Arthur said, we were quite worried. I brought soup, if that makes up for it.”

Arthur snorted, “ _you_ brought soup?”

“Well, I am the one that made it, mon cher. It doesn't matter who carried it.”

Ivan closed and locked the door. “Alfred isn't feeling well.” It probably would have been a good idea to call his workplace and let them know. If he had remembered. Or actually been planning on keeping Alfred home that day.

Arthur set the bag on the kitchen table and took out a large plastic bowl with a red lid.

“We figured,” Francis said, “he did seem a bit under the weather the past few days. That's why we brought soup.”

“Thank you, that is very kind.” Ivan had been planning on making soup. If they brought some already made, though, he wasn't going to complain.

“He's in bed, I take it?” Arthur asked, stuffing his hands into his jacket pockets.

“He- ah, he's right here,” Ivan gesture to the hallway, where Alfred was now standing with a smile.

“Hey, guys. What're you doing here?”

“Oh, mon petite, look at you. Ivan says you're not feeling well.” Alfred purred as Francis hugged him and he hugged back. Francis either didn't notice, or was used to it, Ivan couldn't tell. Alfred still looked sleepy and Francis tried to smooth his messy hair down. Some of the light had come back to his eyes, although not much, and he still seemed to be drained of energy.

“Call us next time, you git,” Arthur said with a huff as Alfred went to hug him. He pat Alfred's back awkwardly, one corner of his lips turning up slightly.

“For what?” Alfred asked.

He flinched when Arthur smacked him on the back of the head, “Why, you clueless little- you can't just not show up and-”

“Hey, now, the child is sick. Don't be such a brute.” Francis jabbed Arthur in the side, and Arthur smacked his hand away.

“I'm okay. Ivan and I took a long nap, and that helped.”

Arthur eyed Ivan again.“A nap. Together?”

“Yeah,” Alfred answered simply. Ivan shifted uncomfortably at how that must have sounded, and what they were probably thinking. “and he let me sleep on-”

“With the cat,” Ivan interrupted, “I was afraid her fur might irritate his sinuses. But they are both very insistent.” A quiet giggle bubbled up in his throat as three sets of eyes stared at him.

“Really,” Arthur said flatly and Ivan wondered if he knew he was lying.

Francis watched Arthur from the corner of his eye, fingers prying at the lid of the soup container, and then smiled at Alfred, “how about you and I prepare the soup for everyone?”

“Okay,” Alfred followed him as he carried the container to the kitchen counter, and asked where a pot was to heat it up in.

“May I have a word with you?” Arthur asked, and by the look on his face, Ivan knew it was not an actual request. And they didn't ask if they could stay for lunch, either. He decided not to mention it, since it made Alfred happy to have them over.

“Very well.” They sat on the couch and Arthur leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Have you known Alfred long?”

“I suppose.” That was a lie, but Ivan didn't think it was any of Arthur's business.

“It's safe to assume the two of you are close, yes? Since you seem to be his...sorry, what are you, exactly, to him?”

“I-” Ivan glanced up, where Alfred and Francis were in the kitchen, “I take care of him.”

“Do you.” There was a high amount of skepticism in Arthur's voice and Ivan bristled. “Well, in that case, do you mind telling me a few things?”

“Sure.” That was also a lie. Ivan wasn't planning on telling him anything, at least not anything important. He didn't know Arthur, or how well he knew Alfred, and that was enough to set Ivan on edge.

“You know he works in my shop, obviously. Did he tell you how he got the job?” Ivan shook his head. “He stumbled in around a month and a half ago, a complete mess. All banged up, dirty, and terribly injured, I thought he'd been in some sort of automobile accident- about that, what actually happened? He said he crashed landed in a spaceship or some nonsense like that.”

So, they 'knew,' they just didn't believe him. Ivan kept his expression pleasant, his voice steady, telling himself this was the truth. “It was a car accident, although I don't know who's car he was in. The story he told me was...a bit vague. I've been keeping a much closer eye on him since then.”

“As you should be,” Arthur huffed. “Anyway, as I was saying. Francis cleaned him up, bandaged him. We thought to call the police, but he started panicking, claiming people were after him. Didn't calm down until we promised we wouldn't. I offered him a job-” Arthur glanced away, seeming almost embarrassed, “-only because I was actually _hiring_ , of course, it had nothing to do with how helpless he looked. However, it's been a bit...strange? He says he doesn't have a bank account, so I've been paying him in cash, and he didn't even give me a place of residence until the past few weeks.”

“Ah, really,” Ivan gave a small smile, as though he were surprised to hear this, “I'll be sure to speak with him about that.”

“You weren't aware? I mean, why do you think he would deliberately withhold that information?”

Because he didn't have that information to give. And he still didn't have a bank account. Did Alfred have _any_ indication of being a citizen on Earth? It was basically as though he didn't exist. Ivan tried to decide if that was a good thing or not.

“I don't know,” Ivan answered, “as I said, I will speak with him. I'll be sure he gets the necessary information to you as soon as possible.”

Arthur nodded, “please do. Honestly, we were starting to wonder if he was homeless. It didn't seem like he was bathing for a while, and with the lack of information- I'm sure you can understand.”

“It does sound like a reasonable assumption. He does have a home, though, as you can see.”

Arthur narrowed his eyes and tilted his head, trying to think of how best to word his next question. “Is he alright-” he twirled his finger around next to his head, “up here?”

“He's fine,” Ivan said, quicker and more firmly than he probably should have.

“Are you certain? He says some of the oddest things. You must know about his...ideas, that he's from space, or wherever. Have you thought to have him speak with someone about that?”

“He is fine,” Ivan said, his jaw tight. He swallowed and cleared his throat, “I am handling everything. Really, there is no need to worry about him.”

Arthur eyed him uncertainly, “if you say so.” Ivan forced his small smile to stay in place.

“The soup is ready, if you gentlemen are done talking,” Francis said from the kitchen, and they both looked over at him.

“It's really good!” Alfred said, setting a bowl on the table. Three others were already set around, along with spoons and napkins.

“Someone decided to sneak a taste when I wasn't looking,” Francis said, smirking at him. Alfred only smiled back, as though he were innocent of such an act.

Ivan made him put a shirt on before they sat down to eat.

* * *

The unexpected lunch went better than Ivan had thought it would. He found he got along fairly well with Francis, and Arthur got on his nerves a bit. Especially with the way he kept fussing over Alfred. That was _Ivan's_ job, and he did it just fine, even if the little Brit suggest otherwise. What did Arthur know, anyway? And he still couldn't tell if the he and Francis were a couple or not. They bickered occasionally, the way people do when they've stuck together for many years together. But they didn't display any romantic affection, and Francis seemed to use pet names for everyone. It felt rather strange to Ivan to be called 'mon cher,' especially by someone he had only just met.

Once they were done, the two said their goodbyes and Ivan was able to lock the door behind them.

There were many things Ivan needed to take care of, but he didn't know how. Alfred needed an identity, something that said he lived on Earth, had his whole life, and had never once been off the planet. It would be necessary in case he was ever be stopped by police or other authorities. Computers were not Ivan's strong suit, and he certainly didn't know how create a false identity for someone. Just from the sound of it, he guessed it took a lot of hacking and other skills he didn't have, and there was no way he could go to Eduard about such a thing. It would all sound incredibly suspicious. Ivan would have to figure it out later.

He stood at the sink, washing the dishes they'd used for the soup. Francis and Arthur had tried insisting on helping, but Ivan didn't like guests cleaning any part of his apartment. It always felt awkward and they always asked where things went, and then it would take longer than necessary. Alfred stood next to him with a sunflower patterned dishtowel, drying and putting things away as they were handed to him.

Ivan thought of something to ask Alfred as he scrubbed at a bowl. “Do you think they're searching for you? Your...people.” Was that even the right word?

Alfred paused, shrugging. A frown crossed his face briefly before he plastered on a sad smile. “I doubt it. I mean, the way I left and...the signal from the podship would have been lost even before the crash. They probably think I'm dead.”

“Oh...” Ivan turned back to the dishes in the sink. He wasn't sure what to say to that. “What about your brother?”

Alfred's smile fell and he laughed, breathy and quiet, “he's probably really upset with me.”

“You don't think he'd try convincing them to search?”

Alfred shrugged again, “he was the only I actually told I was taking the podship anywhere. He's the mission's doctor, which was why he was up there with me. They don't usually send family to space together- too much personal connection if something goes wrong. But he's the best they have, and they didn't have a choice with me, I know those ships better than anyone. It was the most dangerous mission in our history, so they made an exception. Whether or not he's looking for me...I don't know. Maybe.” He seemed to perk up a bit at the thought.

“Is he an older or younger brother?”

“Younger. I'm older by four whole minutes,” Alfred said proudly, and saw the way Ivan's brow rose. “We're twins. It's pretty common on my planet, actually, most people there have a twin.”

“I see.” It made sense, considering they needed physical contact to live. They'd be born with someone they could hug or hold hands with any time they needed to.

Alfred dried a spoon and held it up so he could see at his warped reflection. “If it's Mattie, he might be looking.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not a very exciting chapter, sorry, but lots of important info!
> 
> Apollonia - Latin meaning "belonging to Apollo"


	6. Play With Your Alien

Matthew kicked off the wall, letting himself float backwards unsteadily. He loved being in space and the work he did, but he wasn't sure he'd ever fully adjust to low-gravity. It was like walking on a moon. He had one hand tucked under an elbow, while the other's thumbnail was clamped between jittery teeth. “Well? You said you had something.”

“Yes, just a moment.” The mission's tech manager, Ms. Mullins, said. Her fingers flew over the screen's keypad, typing in codes and other streams of text that Matthew only had a basic understanding of. “...and...here it is.”

Matthew all but threw himself towards the woman, holding onto the back of her seat as he peered over her shoulder. “That's it?”

“Yep,” Mullins pressed a finger to the screen, sliding her finger to the side. The little ball of green and blue and fluffy white spun, showing off the planet's full image. “As far as I can tell, this is the only life supporting planet in the Milk Way galaxy. The signal of the podship Alfred took should have dropped around the time he entered the area.”

“And you think he's there?” Matthew asked, almost desperately. His stomach had been twisted with worry and his nerves on end ever since Alfred disappeared. He barely noticed the feeling of sickness churning inside him anymore, too preoccupied with _finding_ Alfred to bother with such emotions. As soon as the technician told him she had traced the signal as far as she could, he insisted on looking for somewhere he might have landed or, and he certainly hoped not, crashed. While Alfred may not always make the best decisions, he was by no means stupid. If he could get to safety, Matthew was fairly certain he'd take the chance. Unless he was still trying to get back to the main ship, but that seemed unlikely at this point.

Mullins sighed, “I'm sorry, I honestly don't know. It's certainly possible. However, I've traced the remnants of the signal as far as I could. It's not there anymore.”

Matthew bit his lower lip, “we can still look, right? I mean, we have to try. There has to be something.”

“I- I don't know, Dr. Williams,” Mullins said, “that's something you'll have to take up with the captain.” Matthew nodded determinedly, “I will.”

Without another word, he took off down the hall, holding onto the support bar lining the walls as he propelled himself toward the main deck, feet barely touching the floor. He found the captain leaning over the shoulder of one of the astrophysicists.

“Captain Billiards,” Matthew breathed out and took a moment to compose himself. The captain righted himself and looked at Matthew with a raised brow, his hands clasped behind his back.

“What is it, Dr. Williams?”

Even in his attempt to remain calm, Matthew's words came out rushed, tumbling off his tongue rapidly. “They found- I mean, Ms. Mullins found where Alfred's signal dropped. Where it- it stopped, really. In the next galaxy over, it's called the Milky Way by the people that live there- only on one planet, though. The others don't support life and I think, if we could just get out there and see-”

“Hey, hey, hey, slow down,” Captain Billiards held up silencing hands, “now, as I am sure you are well aware, it takes an awful lot to enter another galaxy-”

“Yes, I know, but-”

“Dr. Williams,” Captain Billiards said firmly. He softened his expression to something deeply sympathetic, “I thought we discussed this.”

“He's not dead!” Matthew nearly shouted. They stared at each other for a moment, Matthew frantic and pleading, and Captain Billiards with surprise. It wasn't often that Dr. Williams raised his voice, especially at an authority figure. Matthew sucked in a breath, flattening his hands together and holding them in front of his face. Alfred could not be dead. He refused to believe that. He continued in a much calmer, quieter tone. “I'm sorry. I'm sorry, and I know you think I'm being biased because it's my brother, but he is a crew member, a member of this team, and it would be wrong to not look for him when he very well might be alive out there.”

Captain Billiards casted his eyes out the window in thought, at the vast black expanse they were flying through. He had a whole crew to consider, to keep safe. He considered Jones' disappearance a failure on his part, although the boy had always been difficult to control. Matthew was right, though, they couldn't just abandon a part of their crew, no matter how dangerous searching for him would be. When he looked back up at Matthew, he could see the determination in his eyes. He had worked with the Williams-Jones twins for a few years now, even when they were still in school and training to be astronauts. They stuck together through thick and thin, would do anything for each other, especially after their mother passed away. And he knew if he didn't agree to sending out a search party, there was a high chance Matthew would go on his own. Whether he was authorized to or not.

Captain Billiards nodded once, “very well, I will prepare a group. you leave immediately.”

Matthew let out a breath of relief and grinned, hugging his captain around the neck, “thank you-thank you-thank you!”

* * *

Ivan had settled into life with an alien fairly easily. He had listened to many stories about life on a spaceship, Alfred's crew mates, differences between the planets, and, more than anything, Matthew. Matthew's last name was Williams, which confused Ivan considering Alfred's was Jones, and he still didn't fully understand the naming system on Alfred's planet. He had also learned of other differences between Alfred's species and humans. His heart was on the opposite side, which felt incredibly strange when Alfred had pressed Ivan's hand to his chest. The beat was strong and fast under Ivan's palm. They also didn't grow facial hair, and Ivan thought he should have noticed by now. Alfred had never asked for a razor, nor had Ivan given him one, yet his skin was always smooth to the touch.

And he had discovered that Alfred was oddly strong, although this hadn't actually been explained with words. Instead, Alfred had come home from work and, rather than hugging Ivan as had become routine, he ran up and swept Ivan off his feet. Literally. Alfred had laughed at his shocked face, and Ivan demanded that he never do that again. He did _not_ like being picked up.

However, Alfred coming home and running straight into his arms was...surprisingly nice. It had annoyed him a little at first, and then it grew on him. Ivan gave Alfred frequent hugs, and his condition improved rapidly. Life was pleasant, for now at least. He was sure it wouldn't stay that way, considering Alfred needed protection from very powerful people.

And Ivan had to go grocery shopping. The last few times he had gone were while Alfred was at work, which was what he meant to do this week as well. But then he ended up on the phone with his publisher all day and before he knew it, Alfred was home. So, he brought the alien with him. He had a list of what he needed to get, basic things like milk and eggs, and instructed Alfred to push the cart.

Except that Alfred kept getting distracted. He was fascinated by everything, and would occasionally try to wander away.

“Stay,” Ivan said mechanically as he read over the list, grabbing the sleeve of Alfred's coat before he could go anywhere. Again.

“Ivan, what are those?” Alfred asked, his eyes shining with interest. “Are they lemons? They look like lemons.”

Ivan glanced over at what had caught Alfred's attention this time. “Da, those are lemons.”

“Can I try one?”

Ivan looked over again. They weren't on his list. He didn't know what he could do with them, lemonade was a summer drink and it was winter. He supposed he could make some tea cookies. “We may get a few.”

Alfred purred happily, something Ivan really wished he wouldn't do in public. People always casted strange glances their way when they heard. Alfred grabbed one of the plastic produce bags and started filling it with-

“Nyet, Alfred, those are limes.” Ivan walked over to stand behind him.

“You just said they were lemons,” Alfred gave him a confused look.

“The yellow ones,” Ivan explained, “the green ones are limes.”

Alfred examined the fruit, “do they taste different?”

“Mm...lemons are sweeter, limes are more sour. Just get the lemons, alright? You can try limes another time.”

“Okay,” Alfred smiled and put the lime back, exchanging it for a lemon.

“Only four, we don't need more than that.” Ivan read over his list again. What did they need to pick up next? Carrots, which were right next to the broccoli and celery. He also needed to get-

Ivan grabbed the hood of Alfred's coat just he was trying to dart around the produce stand.

“Ivan!” Alfred tried to wiggle out of his grip, “Ivan, I need to look at something.”

“You do not need to, you want to,” Ivan said calmly, “now stop trying to run off.”

Alfred pouted at him, his eyes glimmering. Ivan kept his focus on a row of cucumbers. That face _did_ things, and it wasn't good. Alfred relented, falling against Ivan's side with a short, disgruntled whine.

Ivan could have let Alfred wander around on his own while he did the shopping. But that idea seemed as bad as leaving him home, and who knew what kind of trouble he'd get himself into. Ivan also needed to be able to _find him_ when it was time to leave, and the thought of not having him within eyesight in public made him paranoid. No, it was best to just keep Alfred by his side.

Ivan followed behind Alfred as he pushed the cart, making sure he went were he was supposed to. He gathered what fruits and vegetables they needed and put them in the cart. Next on the list was bread.

Ivan kept a hold on the back of Alfred's coat to keep him from wandering. He toyed with the mental image of having Alfred on a leash which, while amusing, would look quite strange to onlookers. It would keep him from going anywhere, though. But then people would probably assume they were in some kind of BDSM relationship and they'd get  _looks,_ as though it were anyone else's business.

Ivan glanced at Alfred. That was a weird thing to be thinking about while grocery shopping.

“This way,” he guided Alfred over to the bakery section. He felt his phone buzz in his pocket and pulled it out to see what it was. A message from _Find the Truth_ , the blog he'd been following for a little while now. A list of quotes from astronomers dating as far back as the 1800's, all about how likely it was that other life-supporting planets were out there. Whoever this person was, they were determined to make Ivan believe in aliens. Which he did, now that he was _living with one_.

Ivan picked out some bread and set it in the cart as he thought about replying. He typed out a message a he walked, ignoring the quotes.

_You have mentioned before that the best thing to do, if someone found an extraterrestrial, would be to hide it. But how? Would that even be possible? Governments have many ways of tracking things down._

He read over what he'd typed and reconsidered, over and over he tried to think of something better to say, or if he should even respond at all. Maybe it was best to drop contact with someone so bent on finding proof of alien life. Who knows what ideas they might get in their head. On the other hand, they did not know each other, and there was no way for this person to find out about Alfred. And if they started asking questions, Ivan could pass it off as research for a book he was writing. That was always such a good excuse for doing things other people found odd. He could just pass it off as something for a story.

He glanced at Alfred, who was eying a box of donuts, and pressed send before he could over think such a simple thing. He doubted anything would come of it, but it was his best chance at getting some kind of insight on what the best course of action was. He still wasn't sure how to get Alfred an identity, although he did write a list of what it needed to contain. A social security number, a bank account wasn't exactly necessary but still a good idea, an ID card, a birth certificate, a high school diploma, a passport might be useful. He also needed to figure out where those things should say Alfred grew up, what school he attended, and...and there was so much that was required just to make it even somewhat believable.

Ivan tugged Alfred along before he tried getting the donuts. They had real food they needed to get. His phone buzzed again several seconds later.

_That's a good question. I guess it would depend. It would be good if it could pass as human. Even if it's a disguise, it would be useful. If not, I don't know. Keep it somewhere secluded, I guess, like out on a farm or...somewhere. I doubt any living thing would like being cooped up in a basement or an apartment all the time. Now that I'm thinking about it, I should come up with an awesome plan in case I ever find one._

Wouldn't like being cooped up in an apartment...Ivan was sure Alfred would get restless if he was kept indoors for too long. Ivan could always take him down to the park, or to a museum or something. During the day, of course. He was not going to let Alfred out anywhere at night. Ivan himself hadn't even gone on a midnight walk since Alfred sneaked out to make a crop circle. Instead, he'd pace the apartment, attempt to write, or settle for watching television. It wasn't like he could just up and move, either, as nice as a secluded little farm house sounded. He could plant sunflowers in the backyard and spend his days writing on the back porch. Another buzz alerted Ivan of another message. He wasn't really planning on answering.

_How awesome would it be if someone found an alien?_

Ivan glanced at Alfred as they walked through the store. He was staring wide eyed at everything, a look of interest on his face. It was certainly an interesting experience, and it still felt so _weird_ to know that Alfred was from a different planet. Ivan's phone buzzed. For the third time. Was this guy going to leave him alone, or what? He took a quick look to see what it said. _What would you do?_

Ivan grabbed the side of the cart to turn them down the dairy isle. He sent back a quick _I don't know_ to satisfy the guy's question. It was honest, really. He had no idea what he was doing. Ivan turned with some butter and a carton of eggs in hand and stopped when he caught Alfred in the middle of wiggling around. Dancing, he guessed, as his movements matched the beat of the music playing through the store.

Alfred's hips and shoulders swayed and he bobbed his head. When he caught Ivan watching at the right moment, he held a hand out, the other over his heart, and sang the words. “Can you fe~el my love?” He grinned at Ivan almost expectantly. Was he actually supposed to give an answer?

Ivan walked passed him to put the butter and eggs in the cart, and then went to the milk on the other end of the isle.

Alfred huffed and dropped his arms. “You're never any fun.”

“Never?” Ivan set a carton of milk the cart and motioned for Alfred to follow as he pushed.

“All you do is work, most of the time,” Alfred fell into step beside him. “What do people do for fun on Earth, anyway?”

“Alfred,” Ivan shushed and glanced at the few people within hearing distance. None of them seemed to have heard. “You need to be more careful of what you say in public.”

“On my planet-”

“ _Alfred!_ ” Ivan hissed, “what did I just say?”

Alfred huffed again and crossed his arms over his chest, “fine. _Where I come from_ , people spend time together, play games, tell stories. Mattie likes to read to people, and my favorite was just going somewhere new. Explore, see what's out there. This one time, Mattie and I climbed this really big mountain and we nearly got to the top, but then it started getting dark out so we went back down while we could still see.”

“You think people don't do those things here? I have listened to plenty of your stories.”

Alfred shrugged, “okay, but you never tell any of your own. And it's not exactly like I know a lot of humans. Francis and Arthur mostly argue and insult each other, but that seem like a lot fun.”

He just wasn't going to listen, was he? Ivan read over his list again. They had picked up everything they needed. He headed to the checkout area. “Well, everyone is different. Perhaps my idea of fun is simply different from yours. To me, climbing a mountain sounds exhausting.”

“Then what _do_ you do for fun?”

“Read, mostly. Learn things, write, occasionally watch a movie.” Really, most of his days consisted of work-related things. It had been a while since he could say he really had 'fun.'

“Tonight, you and me, we're gonna have fun.” Alfred said firmly.

Ivan raised an eyebrow at him, “doing what, exactly?”

“I'm not gonna tell you yet because it's a surprise, so just be prepared.”

Ivan thought being concerned was prepared enough.

When they returned home and set the groceries in the kitchen, Alfred immediately left to gather things. Ivan wasn't sure what for, exactly. He'd only seen him get a thick stack of blank paper, tape, index cards, the box of markers Ivan kept in his desk, and a pencil. Alfred took them all to his room, only coming out twice to grab random little things Ivan had lying around. He decided to let him be and see what came of it, busying himself with putting the groceries away and starting dinner.

Alfred refused to explain what he'd been doing until after they had eaten and cleared the table, when he brought out his handmade game. Six taped-together sheets of paper were laid out on the kitchen table, along with the makeshift player pieces and the stack of cards. The smallest figure in Ivan's matryoshka set and the sunflower key chain that was _supposed_ to be holding his keys, which were now left sitting on the kitchen counter. There was also a blank sheet of paper and the pencil set on the table. The “board” Alfred had made looked similar to Candy Land, only longer, with a winding path in various colors and pictures scattered around in between. It was fairly impressive, Ivan had to admit.

“Okay,” Alfred said, dropping a pair of dice on the board, “this is a game from my planet. It's sort of like that one you have here, Jumanji, I think you call it?”

“That was a movie.” A book first, but Ivan assumed Alfred was talking about the film since it was more well known.

“Well, it's like that, except none of the stuff actually happens.”

“That's...good.” Ivan mumbled. And also obvious, he thought. Floods and monkeys didn't magically appear because of a board game.

“I'll be the flower and you can be the tiny doll thing,” Alfred moved both pieces to the block that read start and grabbed the dice. “Youngest goes fist, which would normally be Mattie, but since it's you and me, and you're old, that means I go first.”

“Does it,” Ivan said flatly, shooting him a mild glare for the insult. He was still in his twenties, he was not old yet.

Alfred grinned as he shook the dice in his hands and let them fall onto the table. A two and a three. He moved the sunflower five places forward, to a blank blue space. “Your turn.”

Ivan sighed and grabbed the dice. He moved the doll six places forward, to a yellow space that instructed him to take a card. He squinted at what was written on it, “the Pictonians have...turned me into one of them? Minus eight points.” What did that even mean?

The game was interesting. Ivan wasn't entirely sure what the point was, other that it required minimal strategy skills and whoever still had the highest score at the end, out of the starting 100, was the winner. Some of the cards you could opt out of, some would return points, and some of the squares would tell you to pick two and choose one. Ivan was also fairly certain that Alfred had altered the rules somewhere along the way, but he couldn't prove it because Alfred hadn't bothered to actually write them down. Everything about it seemed entirely random, like a game of intergalactic chance. Ivan had to admit that he was having fun. Alfred's frustration at losing, despite having grown up playing it, was amusing, as was the game itself. Ivan was laughing at Alfred's misfortune of getting his area hit by a meteor, and receiving an irritated face in return.

“How did you win?” Alfred grumbled, glaring at the board, “you've never even played before.”

Ivan giggled at the way Alfred's cheeks puffed up when he was upset, “perhaps I am just good, da?”

Something caught Alfred's attention and Ivan followed his gaze. It was Tony, over on the couch, and the eyes were flashing. Slow, and only for a second at a time, they would light up in a dim, red glow. Alfred nearly fell out of his chair from how fast he bolted over to the thing.

“Alfred?” Ivan asked, standing, “what is it?”

A grin spread across his face, “it's Mattie. It's Mattie, he's here.”

Ivan's brow furrowed and walked over to get a closer look, “are you sure?”

Alfred nodded, “yeah. See, the things- the Friends, they can connect to certain other ones, and show us where someone is. Well, mine and Mattie can, 'cause they're special ones for people that work in dangerous fields. Like space. If Tony's signal is being picked up, that means Mattie is close enough to reach it.”

Ivan eyed the device with uncertainty, “and what are you wanting to do about that?”

Alfred gave him a flat look, “go find him, duh.”

“I am not so sure that is a good idea,” Ivan said. Something scratched at him, telling him there was more to it than that. “These...Friends, are they the only things that it can connect with?”

Alfred's smile faded and he looked down, hugging Tony, “well, no...the technicians that designed the computers in the podships, they made it so that Friends could pick up signals from those, too. In case we ever landed on a new planet and someone got lost.”

“You said you crashed here in one of those. Could that not be it?” Ivan asked softly. There were parts of himself telling him things, different things, some of which he did not want to pay attention to. Like the one that was getting possessive, a creeping feeling to not let Alfred go, even if it was for Matthew. Or the one that was saddened, because Alfred would leave if he could. He knew he would have to let him go eventually, and he knew it was selfish to wish it wasn't so soon.

“It- it could be,” Alfred said, “but I doubt it, I mean, that ship was a wreck after the crash.”

“That does not mean things, especially small contained things, could not have been salvaged. You said people from the government took your ship, what if they are leading you right to them?”

“Even if they did manage to get it working, I doubt they'd know what it was doing. Our technology is different than yours.” Alfred shook his head defiantly, “we have to look. What if it _is_ Mattie? What if he's here and trying to find me?”

“Then he will find you-” Ivan had been trying to say it calmly. And then he thought about the other, more terrifying possibility, that if it was the podship's signal that Tony was picking up, it could lead whoever had it straight to them. Ivan grabbed Tony out of Alfred's hands, “or they will. We need to get rid of this.”

“No!” Alfred tried to grab it back, but Ivan held it out of reach, putting a hand to Alfred's chest to keep him away.

“Alfred, we must.”

“No, give it back!” Alfred's eyes were wide and fearful. Not for the reasons they should be, Ivan thought, and pushed him farther back when his fingers grazed the sleeve of the arm that had Tony.

“What if it's Mattie, Ivan? We need to look! We have to!”

“And what if it's not?” Ivan raised his voice, something he didn't particularly like doing. “Do you even realize the amount of danger you are putting yourself in?”

“I don't care!” Alfred shouted back, “I'm going whether you like it or not.” He crumpled against Ivan, clinging to the front of his shirt, “please, Ivan, we have to look. What if they came to get me?”

There was so much hope in his eyes. Ivan tried to work up enough words and willpower to kill it, to tell him it was too dangerous to risk. He let his arm drop and one of Alfred's hand grabbed onto to Tony, both of them now holding it. “Fine,” his own voice sounded distant, and he knew this was a bad idea, “I am going with you. During the day, when there is light. And if it is not Matthew, we leave Tony behind. I will not bring this thing back here if it will lead others to you.”

Alfred nodded eagerly, “okay. Okay, that's fine. We just- I need to make sure. I need to see.” He nuzzled his face against Ivan's shoulder, his own strange way of saying 'thank you.'

Ivan sat down on the couch heavily, still holding Tony in his hands. “How does this even work?”

Alfred sat next to him, tucking his feet underneath himself, “Tony will show us where to go. The light will move in the direction, and we just have to follow.”

Ivan could see it, the way it started from the bottom of the eyes and disappeared upwards, diagonally to the left. He pinched the bridge of his nose, “this is ridiculous, Alfred. We have no idea how far it take us, where, or to who. We don't even know how long it will take.”

“Well, then...how's this? If it takes us out of the New York state, we'll call it quits and head back here.”

Ivan gave him an incredulous look, “do you have any idea how big New York is? It would take far too long to search, even with...this.” He held Tony up, the head lolling to one side. What all did this thing do, anyway?

Alfred bit his bottom lip, “we have to try. It might be my only chance to get home.”

Ivan studied his face, the way he was fidgety with anxiety and nervous hope that he might finally have a way back to his planet. Ivan nodded reluctantly, “fine. We go out tomorrow, early in the morning. If we are still out by nightfall, we stop.”

Ivan flinched when Alfred hugged him, his arms tight around his neck. He was already dreading tomorrow morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the store, Alfred was dancing to Geronimo by Sheppard. I have had that song stuck in my head for like, a week, and I needed to do something with it.
> 
> Thanks so much for all the reviews/kudos! It's really appreciated :) you guys are awesome.


	7. On Misadventures and Knowing How to Comfort

The sky was gray with cloud cover and the trees that lined the winding road they were on were bare, the dead leaves piled around the bases of trunks and covering the ground. Some blew onto the pavement, getting caught under tires and whipping around in the breeze.

Ivan didn't drive often. Not because he didn't like to, but more because he saw it as unnecessary in most situations, living in a city with a decent bus system. He did, however, own a car. A small, sleek black thing that seated four passengers, plus the driver. Usually, it was used for trips to grocery store, like yesterday, or when Toris wanted to meet at his publishing office, and on the occasions of his sisters visiting he could take them around the city, or up to Niagara Falls, or over to Manhattan. They loved the long trips in the car, and the excitement of exploring that State their brother called 'home.'

For today, Ivan was using it to drive Alfred around while Tony continuously pointed them in an southeastern direction.

Ivan yawned, his eyes squinting as he tried to keep them open and on the road. He hadn't slept much the previous night, not that that was anything new. He had tried to, lying in bed for hours that stretched on and on. Minutes seemed to last just as long, and his stomach twisted with every tick of a second gone by. His mind had been plagued with the thought of Tony in Alfred's bed, all snuggled up in the alien's arms, and potentially leading some very dangerous people to their door. He had almost thought to go in and steal it while Alfred slept, sneak it away and destroy it somewhere. His half-lucid mind planned everything out in sloppy details: replace Tony with a small pillow so as not to wake Alfred up, take it down to the park, into the forest, and smash the internal machinery with a large rock.

He had thought it a brilliant idea, until the image of Alfred's upset face came to mind, those neon blue eyes looking at him as though they had been betrayed. And so, the idea was abandoned. If this really was a way for Alfred to reunite with his brother and his planet, Ivan wouldn't be able to live with himself if he destroyed it.

Which was why, at the strike of ten in the morning, Ivan hadn't been surprised when Alfred entered his bedroom and woke him up. He procrastinated by telling him they had to wait until after breakfast, after Ivan got some work done, after he got ready. Ivan had not, by any means, been looking forward to this.

It was after four in the afternoon now, and he had been driving for over three hours. He wasn't sure how much longer he could take, and he was sure Alfred would be getting hungry soon. They hadn't eaten much for breakfast, only scrambled eggs and toast, and had had nothing else since. In the backseat were packed lunches for the both of them, tucked away in Alfred's backpack.

“We should stop to eat soon, da?”

Alfred was curled up in his seat, his feet up and Tony sandwiched between his legs and his chest. “We haven't found anything yet.”

Ivan sighed. “What exactly are you hoping to find?”

“Something. I don't know, just- some sign that they're here,” Alfred said. He was tired, Ivan could tell and wondered if Alfred had as much trouble sleeping last night as he did.

“And what would that be? Lights in the sky, flying saucers?” Ivan hadn't meant to sound so sarcastic.

Alfred shot him a mild glare, “maybe. Ships, especially large ones, do have to have lights on them, you know. We're not the only ones exploring up there.”

Point taken. “We're stopping soon.”

“I wanna keep looking.”

Ivan shook his head. He reached an area where the trees tapered off into grassy fields and he pulled off onto the side of the road. There was an area overlooking a small pond, and a large tree they could sit under.

“Hey-”

“I have been driving for three hours and it is past the time for lunch,” Ivan cut him off, “we are taking a break.”

“If you would let me drive, you wouldn't have to,” Alfred said as they both got out of the car.

“You do not know how,” Ivan said. He grabbed Alfred's backpack from the backseat and they walked over to the tree.

“I doubt it's that hard to learn,” Alfred grumbled. He settled on the grass, at the base of the tree next to Ivan, and was handed his lunch.

Ivan had packed a thermos of warm soup for each of them. He unscrewed the cap on his and sipped some of the broth. “You also do not have a license, now enough arguing.” Alfred grumbled to himself in low, irritated sounding purrs and Ivan rolled his eyes. “I need to know what we're looking for.”

Alfred looked out over the lake as he sipped his soup. A light breeze tussled his hair and he curled up against the cold air, his thermos warming his hands. “The closer we get, the faster Tony's signal will show up. If we're right where they are, it'll just show up red. Other than that...” Alfred shrugged, “I don't know.”

Silence fell over them and they ate their soup, watching the wind create ripples in the pond. Fallen leaves drifted across the water, along with twigs and other natural debris. Ivan was still uneasy about the whole trip, and Alfred was so determined to find some sign that his people had come looking for him. Ivan couldn't blame him, really, given his situation. He watched Alfred out the corner of his eye. How scared must he be right now? Since he crashed, since he got lost in space. It was no wonder why he clung so desperately to any scrap of hope he could find.

“You just gonna sit there and stare at me?” Alfred asked.

Ivan casted his eyes down at his thermos. When he found Alfred, he had been caught staring that time as well. He also remembered how he had wanted to steal him and, although he hadn't meant it in a literal sense, he supposed he really had. He took Alfred home and kept him. Now he wanted to keep him forever, but he knew that wasn't likely to happen. Ivan sipped his soup again. “What are you thinking about?”

Alfred rolled his thermos between his hands, never once looking at the human sitting next to him. “Hey, Ivan...”

“Hm?”

Alfred remained quiet for several moments longer, neon blue eyes narrowed in thought. He shook his head, “never mind.”

They sat for a while longer, until they both finished their soup, and got back in the car. Tony's eyes kept point east. Several times already they had gotten lost and Alfred would inform him they were going in the wrong direction, had missed a turn, or needed to turn around. Ivan started the car and hoped it wouldn't be too much longer before they could go back to the apartment.

The roads they drove took them through forests, suburbs, cities, small towns, open areas of fields and farmland, grape vineyards, orchards. All the different kinds of places you could find in New York. And out of it, Ivan noted begrudgingly as they passed a sign that read _Welcome to Connecticut_. Alfred had agreed to going no further than the New York state border. A quick glance at eager neon blue eyes and Ivan tightened his grip on the steering wheel. He guessed it would fine to go a _little_ ways out of New York. As long as it wasn't too far.

Open fields surrounded them, grassy and green, and the sun was hidden by the cloud cover that had been present all day. Alfred kept leaning forward in his seat, watching the sky and the land around them, keeping himself alert for any sign that his people were nearby. Tony's eyes were flashing faster and faster with every mile and Ivan's feeling of dread clawed its way from the tail of his spine to the back of his neck.

Twenty minutes had gone by before Ivan spotted a gas station and decided to pull in. The needle was a little too close to the E and he needed an excuse to get out and calm his nerves. Tension had begun to fill him the moment they left, and he was sure it had only built over time.

“Now why're we stopping?” Alfred asked, frowning.

“Gas,” Ivan answered simply. He shut the car off and got out, “stay put.” He slammed the door and fished his wallet out of his pocket.

“Fine,” Alfred huffed and slouched back. It wasn't long before his curiosity began to peak and he unbuckled his seatbelt. He left Tony in his seat while he crawled over the center console and sat in the driver's seat, his legs tucked underneath himself and his face pressed to the window.

Ivan was filling the gas tank when he caught movement in the corner of his eye. He smirked at seeing Alfred watching him intently. He was so cute.

Ivan blinked at the thought. Hm. He hadn't really found Alfred to be cute before. He eyed him closely, half his attention on the task at hand and the other half on inspecting Alfred's face. Ivan liked freckles, he always knew that, and there were plenty scattered across Alfred's cheeks and the bridge of his nose. He never really had any other preferences, aside from being male. On the physical aspect, at least. As for being human...it wasn't like he was attracted to Alfred in _that way_ , necessarily, so it didn't really matter. Did it? He did hold a strong admiration for Alfred's eyes, though. Neon blue, glowing in the dark. And some of the faces he made...Ivan smiled at the alien in his car, who was watching him so closely, and Alfred smiled back, looking a little confused. It was okay to think he was cute.

Ivan finished with the pump and slid it back into the holding place. He wanted to stall, to stay away from wherever they were headed, which gave him an idea. Something he probably should have done before they even left, _would have_ if he had known where they were heading.

Ivan paid for the gas and opened the driver's side door. He peeked in at Alfred crouched in his seat. “Time to move over.”

Ivan slid into his seat as Alfred crawled back over to the passenger side. Ivan had decided to check something and, before he even turned the engine on, picked up his phone from where it sat in a cup holder. He unlocked it and pulled up a map of the western side of Connecticut, seeing what was out that way and what he should expect to come across. Far too many things came up from such a general search and he narrowed it down to something more specific. Alfred was watching him patiently, wondering what he was doing. He had asked, but Ivan barely registered the words as his blood ran cold. Not too far into the border was the very thing he had feared they were being led to.

 _Hartford Air Force Base._ When he zoomed in, he could see a warehouse type building surrounded by a chain link fence. Judging by the area around it, it was decently secluded in the middle of nowhere.

The perfect place to keep a wrecked alien spaceship.

And they were only about another ten minutes away.

“Ivan!” Alfred exclaimed, leaning close to get in his line of sight. “What's up?”

Ivan began shaking his head, moving his tongue around to wet his suddenly dry mouth. “We need to go back. Now. And get rid of that thing.” He reached for Tony, but Alfred pulled it to his chest.

“But we haven't found anything yet.”

“Alfred- give it to me,” he reached again, and again Alfred kept it away, tucking it behind his back.

“No, there hasn't been anything yet. We have to keep looking.”

“We are done. Do even know where we are?”

“Does it _matter_?”

“We are in _Connecticut_ , Alfred,” Ivan hissed, “this is already farther than I agreed to, and we are being led to an air force base. Do you know what the air force is?” He continued before Alfred even had time to answer. “A branch of the military that _specializes_ in aircraft. Think about what that means.”

“We-...but...just a little longer, please-”

“Nyet, I am not taking you anywhere near there.” The thought of even being as close as they already were sent a chill creeping over his skin. He wanted to get Alfred as far away as possible, to lock him in his apartment and never let him leave again.

“It could still be them! They could be looking for me!”

Ivan almost wanted to slap him for being so damn stubborn about this. Maybe it would be knock some sense into him. He did not want to hurt Alfred, though, and he didn't think he'd ever be able to raise a hand to him. “Enough! You are walking right into their hands.”

“But it could be Mattie!”

“It is _not_ , Alfred,” Ivan grabbed Alfred's arms and shook him roughly, only once to make sure his point was made, “they did not come for you, Matthew is not on Earth, and I will not put you in this kind of danger!”

Alfred glared at him intensely, his eyes wet with tears he refused to let fall. He had to keep believing he could get home somehow, that Matthew and their crew might come to get him, or were at least _trying_ to. He was brave and optimistic, and he was most certainly not terrified of being stuck on Earth for the rest of his life.

Ivan could see Tony over Alfred's shoulder. The eyes were flashing faster and faster, almost a steady red light, and he needed to do _something_ before it was too late. But he knew Alfred would not just give him Tony if he asked, and his idea about destroying the thing was starting sound like their best, not to mention _only_ , option. Ivan grabbed for it, moving fast enough that it took Alfred a second to realize what he was doing.

Alfred had caught one end while Ivan had the other. “What are you doing?! I won't let you get rid of it!”

“Your are not thinking about this rationally!” It was like a game of tug-of-war that could, potentially, end with an alien locked away in a lab room. “I understand that you-”

“No, you don't! You don't fucking understand anything!”

Ivan was mildly surprised. That was the first time Alfred had actually used a strong word, at least when speaking to him. “This is too dangerous, Alfred-”

There was a sharp _rip_ and something clunky and metallic fell out of Tony. Red wires kept it connected to the head while a black box dangled from the torso. Alfred was staring at it with his mouth open and his eyes wide. While he was distracted, Ivan did the first thing that came to mind and threw it under his foot.

“ _Don't!_ ”

After a solid _crunch_ , the lights in Tony's eyes flickered and died. Relief flooded Ivan, though he was still on edge. They were safe, for now. As long the signal to them died, if anyone was tracking it they would just see two men sitting at a gas station. Although, one of them looked heartbroken and on the verge of tears. Ivan wanted to comfort him, but he had no idea what to say or do.

And then there was a knock on the passenger side window and Ivan grabbed Alfred's hand on instinct. Outside, the one knocking was a young man in an air force uniform. Ivan swallowed thickly and pressed a button on his door to roll Alfred's window down.

“C-can I help you?” He tried to fake a normal smile, but the way the kid's brow rose when he bent to peer in, he doubted he was succeeding. He couldn't be much older than Alfred, Ivan thought, possibly a newer recruit, which meant he'd also be less experienced.

“Um-” he noticed Ivan gripping Alfred's hand, which tightened considerably, and glanced around the car in what he probably thought was a discreet manner. Ivan was glad Tony was hidden from view by his feet. “Can I ask what you two gentlemen are doing all the way out here?”

Of course he would ask that when the next closest structure was an air force base. “Lost. We- ah, we are trying to get to New York. State. And...we seem to have found ourselves a bit lost.”

The airman eyed them and it was then that Ivan noticed the truck parked on the side of the road, on the far end of the lot. He'd been too busy arguing with Alfred to have seen it sooner. Four other men were sitting inside, two in black suits and two in an air force uniform. Ivan's palms were sweating, he wanted them to leave. Now, preferably. And he had to push down a giggle that had begun to bubble up. He really hated that.

“Really...” the airman was looking pointedly at Ivan's phone, “yeah, I guess the signal out here isn't that great. They have maps in there, if you need one,” he jerked his head in the direction of the station's small store.

“Of course,” Ivan said stiffly. They stared at each other for a moment. He was _not_ leaving Alfred alone with the military right there, especially with the pieces of Tony's mechanics scattered on the floor.

“Is everything alright here?” The airman asked, sounding suspicious. He narrowed his eyes at the back of Alfred's head, who had barely moved since the kid showed up.

“Fine,” Ivan tried to smile again. He raised a hand to cup Alfred's cheek, stroking with his thumb. Somehow, feeling him there was, in a small way, comforting. If they hadn't taken him away by now, then they must not suspect them of anything. “Isn't that right, doro- dear? He is just very worried over being so turned around.” The kid had to think they were together anyway, with the way he kept looking at their clasped hands. Might as well play along.

Alfred wouldn't lift his eyes enough to actually look at Ivan, but he did twist around to smile at the airman. “Yeah, sorry, just...like he said, worried.”

The airman eyed them for a moment longer before nodding, “right, well. I'd recommend heading back that way,” he pointed down the way they came. “A map would still be a good idea, but yeah, the New York state border is that way.”

“Ah, thank you,” Ivan said and then looked down at Alfred, “see? Everything will be fine.”

“Hm.” Ivan could tell he was straining to keep his smile up, and he still wouldn't look at him.

“Hey, it stopped!” One of the men in a suit shouted from the truck, his head poking out the window. Ivan was starting to wonder if his pulse was about to do the same, from how hard his heart was trying to break out of his chest.

The airman looked back at the man, “what do you mean it stopped?”

“I don't know, it just- let's take it back, alright?”

The airman studied Ivan and Alfred for a moment longer before giving a firm nod, “well, thank you for your time. That will be all, gentleman.” He straightened, turned on his heel, and marched to his fellow men in the truck.

Ivan wondered what they were even doing out there, anyway. Anxiety rose in his core at the thought of them being the ones tracking Tony. What had they been talking about that stopped? And right after killing off Tony's end of the signal. There was no other explanation, he had to assume they were the ones with the pieces of Alfred's ship. At least it was done with and they were leaving.

Ivan started the car and pulled out of the lot. That was far too close. Tony was still at his feet in pieces, but he'd have to worry about cleaning that up later. Now that he was able to actually think clearly, he found that his heart was trying to crawl up his throat, making his limbs jittery. He hadn't even realized he was reaching for Alfred until he jerked away from him.

Ivan glanced at him, then at the fading vehicle in his rear-view mirror. “Alfred, please. You must understand.”

Alfred had curled up in the seat, his knees dawn up to his chest and his arms wrapped around himself. “You killed Tony.”

“I had to. To protect you.” Ivan's grip tightened on the steering wheel. He did the right thing. The necessary thing. Keeping Alfred _safe_ was more important that keeping him happy. Alfred could throw a fit and be upset with him all he wanted. He'd understand in time, after everything calmed down and he was thinking a bit more rationally. “It wasn't them.”

Alfred didn't respond. Ivan glanced at him again, briefly, and saw he'd buried his face in his knees. The sun was just beginning to set, they were both tired, and Ivan was not in the best mental state to be driving. He was nearly trembling from how on-end his nerves were. He wasn't even sure about the directions to get home. Ivan eyed his phone for a moment. He did _not_ text and drive, in fact, he refrained from using his phone at all if he could while behind the wheel. Maybe Alfred could just use his glasses, or something. That is, if he was willing to do anything Ivan asked.

“We should stop at a hotel for the night. Would you mind searching where one is for me?” He could afford a room for one night, right? It shouldn't be too much of a problem. It would be worth it to avoid a potential accident, he was too tired and too anxious to be driving.

Alfred wordlessly fiddled with his glasses and then mumbled, “next left, few miles down, there's a...a thing. They have rooms.”

* * *

The 'thing' Alfred had been referring to was an inn, in a small town. The elderly woman at the front desk had given them a kind smile, although Ivan probably should have mentioned that Alfred was not his boyfriend, as she seemed to have assumed. They had been given a room with one queen-sized bed. It would be fine for the night. They could just sleep on opposite sides. Also in the room was a dresser, a small TV, a nightstand, and another door leading to a bathroom.

As soon as they stepped into the room, Alfred had gone to take a bath, making it clear he wanted Ivan to stay out. While he did that, Ivan had gone to get some dinner for the two of them. Wanting to cheer Alfred up in some small way, he returned with hamburgers, fries, and soda from a diner down the street.

Ivan sat on the edge of the bed, wondering if Alfred would be done soon. He spotted a piece of gray poking out from the backpack, set on the floor by the dresser. He leaned on his knees, dragging his fingers through his hair. A homing signal was not the only thing Tony had inside. Alfred had mentioned pictures, recordings, and a few videos he had been excited to show Matthew, should they ever reunite. If Ivan had to be honest, though, he didn't think they ever would. Still, if he could get those things off the hard drive, or where ever data were stored, it might make Alfred a little more forgiving. Would Eduard be able to do that? Ivan wasn't sure he'd know what to do with it, being alien technology. And the body...the only person Ivan knew that _might_ be able to fix it was his big sister, Yekaterina, but then he'd have to ship it all the way to Ukraine.

Ivan's phone vibrated noisily on the nightstand and he picked it up to see what it was. A message from _Find the Truth_. Not something he felt like dealing with at the moment, but he had always been told it was rude to ignore people.

_Hey, do you believe in aliens yet?_

Ivan was still wondering if he should end contact with this person. He sent back a quick " _yes_ ," hoping it would satisfy whatever they wanted to know, and received a reply within a matter of seconds.

_Awesome. Where do you live? Like, what country. I can send you some stuff about your area you might want to check out._

Was this guy trying to be friends with him or something? Maybe he was like Ivan and didn't exactly have many. But Ivan had Alfred to protect, and he couldn't just go around giving out their location to strangers on the Internet.

 _Moscow_ he replied. The opposite side of the world, almost.

_Alright, not what I expected but awesome. Just give me a minute._

The amount of times this person said 'awesome' in a single conversation was...frankly, juvenile, in Ivan's opinion. He wondered how old they were. He didn't want to accidentally 'make friends' with some underage kid. He had enough to worry about as it was. The next message Ivan received was a long list of strange occurrences not only in Moscow, but all over Russia. He sent back a simple message of " _Thanks, I'll check it out_." It might be interesting, and useful if he ever had the chance to show Alfred his home country. Did Alfred even know where Russia was? He'd have to teach him. Maybe he could even get him to speak Russian. That would be fun.

Ivan glanced at the bathroom door. It had been a decent amount of time. Alfred should be getting out by now, and Ivan didn't want their dinners getting cold. He stood and went up to the door, pressing his ear close. He could hear movements in water and sniffling. His heart sank when he realized Alfred was crying. That was- no. Not something he was supposed to do. Ever. Why couldn't he just understand that what Ivan did was for his own safety? He didn't do it to hurt him.

Ivan hesitated before opening the door. Alfred finally looked up at him for the first time since Ivan broke Tony. He was sitting in the tub, the water almost up to his shoulders. He looked so small then, with his cheeks red and his eyes wet and puffy. A few tears were still stuck to his chin, and the corners of his eyes. Ivan hated the sight and needed to fix it.

“I brought hamburgers for dinner.”

“'Kay.” He knew Alfred liked hamburgers. That had to make him at least a little happy. Ivan shifted on his feet, unsure of what to say. He wasn't good at dealing with crying people. Alfred needed to smile.

How did you make someone smile?

Ivan moved closer and knelt down in front of the tub, and picked up a washcloth that had been draped on the side. He dunked it in the water and gently ran it over Alfred's cheeks, wiping away the tears. His eyes were still red and puffy, but as long as there were no more tears. It was a little better. Then he went down Alfred's arm and back up, behind his neck and over his shoulders. He was careful around the few scabs left on his chest. Alfred always seemed the most relaxed when getting a bath. Was that a _thing_ on his planet? For people to bathe each other. He'd have to ask about it another time.

“It wasn't them, was it...” Alfred said, more as a confirming statement than a question.

“Nyet,” Ivan sighed. “It was not.”

Alfred rested his chin against his knees and another tear rolled down. Ivan was quick to wipe it away. He was all alone, lost on Earth. Possibly forever. He didn't even have Tony anymore. “Ivan...”

“Da, little one?”

Alfred paused for a moment, sniffling. “What...what happens if I'm stuck here? Like, for the rest of my life.”

Ivan hummed quietly as he thought about an answer. “Then...” _I get to keep you_. “I will protect you for the rest of mine.”

Alfred gave a short, thankful purr and leaned against the side of the tub, pressing his cheek to the crook of Ivan's elbow. He was all Alfred had now. Even if he did kill Tony.

After the bath and Alfred was dried off, Ivan had him put his boxers, shirt, and glasses back on and led him out to the room. They hadn't packed anything, neither having planned on spending the night out, so he didn't have any pajamas to put Alfred in and jeans wouldn't be too comfortable to sleep in.

Ivan sat on the bed, leaning against the headboard, and Alfred followed, curling up next to him. Ivan grabbed their dinners and the remote from the nightstand and clicked on the television. Alfred began to eat while Ivan flicked through the channels, trying to find something interesting to watch. He had never cared much for watching sports and sped through the 'adult' channels, hoping Alfred didn't read any less-than-innocent words. He came across a few channels playing movies. _E.T._ didn't seem like a particularly good choice at the moment.

One of the _Superman_ movies was also playing...Alfred might enjoy that. Superman was supposed to be an alien, wasn't he? Very human looking, with an incredible amount of strength, living happily on Earth. Despite the constant threat of villains. Ivan glanced down at Alfred, at his neon blue eyes glowing softly in the dim hotel room light, and decided a superhero movie would be nice.

Ivan would show Alfred that he could be happy on Earth, like Superman, and he'd make it his new home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since a few people already guessed it: yes, the blogger is Gilbert. And now Matthew has no way of actually finding Alfred when he lands on Earth.
> 
> Thanks so much for all the reviews and kudos! Really, they make me smile every time I see them :)


	8. Morning Cuddles Are Important

“Ivan!”

“Mm?” Ivan was very rudely awoken by an alien bursting into his room and throwing himself onto his bed. The mattress bounced roughly as said alien crawled over and settled against Ivan's side.

“Ivan- Ivan!” His eyes cracked open blearily at a pair of wide neon blues gazing down at him. “Ivan. Your planet turned white and it's really cold.” He was either very excited, or very concerned about this. It was hard to tell when half asleep.

“Chto?” Ivan's mind was not yet up to comprehending such things. He distantly noted that the apartment did feel colder than it had the night before. It might be time to turn up the heat.

“Outside. I think it's snow,” Alfred said, “it's all fluffy and white. Is it snow? 'Cause that's what snow is like on my planet, too.”

“Da, Al'fred,” Ivan sighed. “Sneg- snow.” What time was it?

Alfred wiggled under the blanket and laid down, throwing it over both of their heads. Sputnik, curled up by Ivan's neck, was also covered. Alfred burrowed down into the mattress, curled up next to Ivan. “It's so cold. I think we should hibernate.”

Ivan turned his head to look him, his brow scrunched. “Are you supposed to do that?” The harshness of fresh snow bouncing light everywhere was softened to pleasant glow under cover of a thick blanket.

“Yes.” Judging by the way Alfred quick and overly blunt response, Ivan had a feeling the real answer was 'no.'

“I do not think you are being honest.”

Alfred huffed, “well- I'm cold, alright?”

Ivan smirked and rolled onto his side. He carefully moved Sputnik down to his chest, receiving a small mew in protest. “You think this is cold? It is much worse in other areas on Earth.”

Alfred's eyes widened, “no way! That's ridiculous. It's way too cold, ever here.”

Ivan giggled, “it is true. In Russia, it gets far colder than this. And then there is the North Pole, where it is frozen all year round.”

Mild confusion crossed Alfred's face. He knew what a north pole, every planet had one along with a south pole. “What's Russia?”

“A country, very far from here,” Ivan said. “It is where I come from.”

Alfred rolled onto his back and pressed at the buttons on his glasses. Ivan's eyes locked onto the tip of a pink tongue poking out from the corner his lips. It was a pointy little thing, and Ivan had the strangest urge to grab it. He shook his head at the thought.

“It's pretty. And it has more land mass than Pluto. Impressive.”

“Da...I should call my sisters soon.” What was the date, again? That was important. For some reason.

Alfred frowned, “wish I could call Mattie...”

Oops. Ivan had been very careful to avoid reminding Alfred of his brother. He wrapped an arm over Alfred and pulled him close, making sure not to squish Sputnik, and took his glasses off. Ivan reached behind himself quickly to set them on the nightstand, and then went back to holding Alfred.

Alfred rolled to face him, his arms and Sputnik curled between them. “I still don't completely forgive you for killing Tony.”

“I know.”

“Sputnik doesn't forgive you either.”

“I know.” She had been quite upset with him for leaving her alone over night without warning, or so Alfred said. And yet they were both in his bed, cuddling up to him.

Alfred made a few short, quick purrs and Sputnik got up, moving to the back side of Ivan's neck. Alfred wiggled closer, pressing his ear over Ivan's heart. He always did that, whenever they hugged or cuddled. And he had been especially cuddly after the loss of Tony. Ivan wondered if there was a purpose, but it always felt too personal and intimate to ruin it by speaking.

Ivan's phone buzzed on his nightstand. He really hoped it wasn't _Find the Truth_ again. They sent interesting information, and Ivan had looked at most of it. They were certainly interesting to interact with. But...Ivan's arm tightened around Alfred, pulling him as close as he could be. He had to be careful of who he spoke to about such things and, so far, aliens were all he and the blogger behind _Find the Truth_ had discussed.

It was nice like this, with the blanket over them. They were safe, it was...happy. Ivan liked this much better than going out, especially to somewhere dangerous. Just him, his cat, and his alien in their own little bubble. And Alfred's stomach was growling.

A splash of pink tinted Alfred's cheeks and he buried his face in Ivan's chest, “can we make breakfast now?”

Ivan smirked at him, “very well.”

“Something warm.”

“Of course.”

The snow outside made everything brighter, and there was a certain calm yet excited feeling that came with the season's first snowfall. A frozen sort of vigor. Ivan bundled up in a sweater and his scarf, keeping his pajama pants on, and gave Alfred a sweater to wear. A thick red one, instead of the blue knit he usually wore which was starting to fall apart. He should really look into getting Alfred some new clothes soon. Alfred had tied it around his neck to run around like Superman, but Ivan made him put it on properly.

“I gave this to you to keep you warm, not to pretend you are a superhero.” Ivan untied the sleeves and slipped the sweater over Alfred's head. A warmth spread through Ivan's chest when Alfred laughed, a few short and huffy hums. He hadn't heard him make any sort of happy sounds since the misadventure with Tony. Ivan stepped back to examine the alien. Both the black pajama pants and the red sweater were Ivan's, and both entirely too big for him. The pants pooled around Alfred's ankles, hanging dangerously low on his hips. The neck of the sweater had slid off one shoulder, the sleeves reaching the tips of his fingers. That kind of appearance, mixed with his current messy head of hair, was making something in Ivan's stomach get all fluttery and warm. He definitely liked seeing Alfred wear his clothes.

Ivan prepared oatmeal for both of them. Warm, healthy, filling. It was a good meal for winter mornings. After breakfast, Ivan took a shower and they both got dressed.

Throughout the day, as he worked and Alfred went about doing his own things, Ivan kept an eye on him. Alfred had been attempting to fix Tony, to some small degree. However, he was an engineer, not a technician, and was having trouble figuring out the wiring and the bits and pieces of the device. He needed someone who knew computers well, knew how to work their way around all the little things went into them, and who would be able to figure out how to get alien technology working again.

Ivan worked for as long as he could, his eyes burning after a few hours of staring at a computer screen. Every time he checked up on Alfred, fiddling with Tony's pieces, he saw a frown firmly in place on the alien's lips. Every time he did smile, at Ivan attempting a joke or telling him something interesting, it never reached his eyes. They were getting dull again, much faster than when he'd almost gotten sick although they still held life in them.

Ivan wanted to see him smile again, a real one with his eyes lighting up and his teeth showing. He wanted to make him forget about being upset. Snowflakes drifted delicately passed the window. Ivan stood from his desk and went to his room, to his closet. Inside, he found a spare scarf and a pair of gloves, and then got Alfred's coat from his room.

He brought them to where Alfred was working at the kitchen table and began bundling him up, slipping the gloves on before the coat and wrapping the scarf securely around his neck.

“Are we going somewhere?” Alfred asked, staring at his covered fingers as he wiggled them. Black fleece, a little too big since they were Ivan's and his hands were larger than Alfred's.

“Da, outside.”

There was a playground behind Ivan's apartment building. It was much smaller than the one in the park, and slightly rundown since there weren't many children to play on it, leaving it abandoned for long periods of time. It consisted of only a connected swing set and slide, set up in a decently open area of grass. Or it would be, if everything wasn't covered in snow.

“What're we doing out here?” Alfred asked with a frown. He was hugging himself, easily chilled by the icy temperatures.

“Playing,” Ivan answered simply, leading Alfred to an open area.

Alfred snorted. “Since when do you like to play?”

Ivan ignored him for the moment, kneeling down to grab a handful of snow. With his back to Alfred, who was trying to peek over his shoulder from a short distance, he smoothed it into a ball and smirked, standing up. “Since _now_!” He whipped at an unsuspecting alien, pelting him in the chest.

Alfred froze when it hit him, almost as though he had been expecting it to hurt, neon blue eyes wide. A few moments passed and Ivan wondered if, maybe, he shouldn't have done that. He was starting to worry as Alfred still didn't move, and it barely even looked like he was breathing.

Just as he was beginning to think he had made a terrible mistake, Alfred suddenly had a snowball of his own in hand and a devious smirk on his face. Wait, when did- Ivan blinked and he'd been pelted in the shoulder. Alfred was _fast_. And this would be a challenge. He smirked back, never having had trouble defeating people in the snow before. This would be fun.

They began whipping packed balls of fluff at each other, careful to avoid faces and other sensitive areas. Unfortunately for Alfred, he was not very good at handling cold weather. He felt the snow seeping through his gloves and shoes, the chill permeating his coat after a while, and the falling flakes making his hair frosty. After a while, his fingers began to stiffen and his teeth clenched to avoid chattering.

Ivan inhaled deeply. One of the few things he truly enjoyed about winter was how crisp the air felt in your lungs. Chasing around an alien to hit him with snow was enjoyable as well. Even when Alfred began to slow, breathless and red faced, they continued. Alfred was laughing and it sounded like beautiful to Ivan, like wind chimes in the summer. Alfred's smile also more than made up for the sun hiding behind clouds, and his eyes had become such a bright and clear blue.

Ivan wasn't paying quite enough attention to what Alfred was actually doing and found himself tackled, falling backwards into the snow, landing with a quiet _puff_. Their heavy breaths showed in their air, clouds of fog drifting from parted lips. Alfred was grinned down at him, his hair speckles with white dots that clung to strands and eyelashes, his cheeks and nose a frozen red. Even his lips had become just a bit more pink, and Ivan found himself staring. Everything about him really was beautiful, it almost wasn't fair that he wasn't even human. Somewhere in the back of Ivan's mind, too far for him to really notice, he wondered how many heads turned when Alfred went out.

Alfred let out a content sigh and his smile softened, “thanks.”

“For wha-” Ivan's fingers twitched when Alfred leaned forward and placed a feathery kiss on the tip of his nose.

“Really, I know I've kinda down lately. I didn't mean for it to affect you, too.”

“Nyet- nyet, it is fine. I understand.” When Alfred's gaze lowered and his smile disappeared, Ivan lifted his chin. “I may not have been in your situation before, and it is likely I never will be, but that does not mean I can't sympathize to a degree.”

Alfred stuck his tongue out, a pink tip appearing before darting away. “Old people are always the smart ones.”

“Old? You think I am old?” Ivan prodded at Alfred's sides, earning giggles and a face buried in his chest. “I am far from being old, little one.”

“Fine, fine- stop!” Alfred laughed, “you're not old!”

“Hah, see? You agree,” Ivan said triumphantly. He felt a shiver run through Alfred's body, and then another and another and realized he must be very cold. “We're going inside now.”

Alfred's head popped up with a pout, “No~, I wanna keep playing.”

“Nyet, you are shivering, I need to warm you up.” Ivan got to his feet, pulling Alfred up with him, and brought him up to their apartment despite insistence that he was fine.

Once inside, Alfred took off his coat and the borrowed gloves and scarf, setting them aside on the kitchen counter. Ivan brought a thick blanket from his room, something Yekaterina had knitted for him a few years ago. It was dark blue, mimicking the night sky.

“I can make you some hot tea, if you would like?” Ivan offered, wrapping Alfred's shaking form in the blanket. Ivan didn't think they had been out that long. He hadn't meant to freeze Alfred, and certainly didn't realize how easy it was to make him cold. He'd have to keep that in mind.

Alfred snugged into the blanket, feeling the knitted yarn between his fingers. “Nah. Arthur makes tea all the time and I don't really care for it. After work, Francis sometimes drinks this red stuff, and he almost let me try it but then Arthur said I wasn't old enough yet.”

Alfred was still shivering, and Ivan thought heating him from the inside would be helpful. “I do have some hot chocolate if you would prefer.”

Alfred grinned and nodded. “Yes, please.”

While Ivan went to prepare it, Alfred following close behind, his phone began to ring. He fished it out of his pocket and answered it without checking the ID. “Hello?”

A chipper, feminine voice responded in Russian. “Vanya! It's big sister. How are you?”

“Oh,” Ivan smiled at hearing his sister's voice and switched to Russian. “I am well, and yourself?”

“I'm well, and so it Dmitri,” Yekaterina said with fondness, laced with something else Ivan couldn't quite place. He had only met her husband on a few occasions, and he seemed like a nice enough guy. As long he treated his sister right, he didn't think it much of his business who she was with. “Have you spoken with Natalya recently?”

“No, I haven't,” Ivan pulled a pot out of a cupboard and set it on the counter. He leaned, pausing to focus on the phone call. “How is she?”

“She's well. She adores her ballet career, you know, and she's also joined some sort...oh, not occult. It is some kind of paranormal something or other. They research the history of an area, and go on little trips trying to find spirits and things. You know she is. She's always had an interest in that kind of topic.”

“Yes, I know.” Ivan watched Alfred slide up onto the counter and scoot closer, a round chin resting on his shoulder.

“Oh! I completely forgot to ask. How is your new book coming along?”

“Fine, fine. I should be finished soon, actually. I am working on the last few chapters.” He was a bit behind his usual schedule, due to his somewhat recently acquired responsibility of caring for an alien. It was nothing he couldn't handle, and Toris hadn't even noticed, or at least hadn't thought enough of it to mention anything.

“I can't wait to read it, I am sure it will be wonderful.” His sisters dutifully read all of his work. Ivan appreciated their support, but he sometimes wondered if Yekaterina only did so out of a feeling of obligation. Natalya, he knew, didn't do anything for anyone unless it was something she genuinely wanted to do. “I had something I wanted to discuss with you, actually. I was looking at plane tickets and dates and things. I was thinking Natalya and I could arrive around the twenty-ninth, if that's alright, and then we'd be leaving around the eighth. How does that sound?”

Oh. Right. _That_ was why the date was important. Their annual visit, since New Years and a January Christmas was coming up. His sisters would be there for his birthday as well, since it was around the same time. “That should- ah!” Alfred slid further, straddling Ivan's hips from behind and nearly knocking the phone out of his hand. “Careful,” he hissed in English and then went back to Russian, addressing his sister. “That should be fine.”

Neon blue eyes peered over Ivan's shoulder curiously, and Ivan craned his neck to stare back. Yekaterina didn't even know he existed yet. How should he bring it up? A friend was a friend staying with him. He'd gotten a roommate. He...found a kid on the street and gave him a home. That made Alfred sound too young, and she'd question where his family was.

“Good! Now, did you have any ideas, or would you rather spend the holidays at your apartment?” Yekaterina asked.

“Mm- at home might-” Ivan grabbed Alfred's hand, stopping him from tugging on his scarf as he had been. “Home might be best. I- stop that!” He forgot to switch to English and Alfred giggled, his eyes lighting up. He'd been pressing his fingers into Ivan's sides, attempting to tickle. Ivan shifted, trying to focus on his sister. “Staying at the apartment would be best this year, if that is alright.”

“Is everything alright? You seem distracted by something.” Yekaterina said. “I'm not distracting you from work, am I? If you have something you need to be doing-”

“No, no, no,” Ivan cut her off, “you are fine. It is- something I picked up a while ago.”

“What?” He knew that sounded that strange, and it didn't exactly tell her anything.

Alfred reached around and caught the ends of Ivan's scarf. He pulled them around and tied them into a bow behind his neck. Ivan winced at the fabric tightened around his neck uncomfortably, and he tugged it loose again, the bow falling apart. “ _Alfred_!”

“Alfred?” Yekaterina questioned, and he could _hear_ the cheeky smile forming on her lips.

“I, uh-” Ivan fumbled for words, a mess of English and Russian swirling in his head. How to explain. How to explain.

“Something you picked up recently?” The amount of _teasing_ in Yekaterina's voice made Ivan's blood rush to his face and he ducked his nose into his scarf.

“Not like that,” he said quickly. “He is-. Roommate.”

“Roommate,” Alfred repeated with a huff, as though offended and thought he should be described as something more. Ivan supposed 'roommate' wasn't entirely accurate. Alfred's fingers tugged lightly at the short hairs on the back of Ivan's neck. Ivan had said that in Russian, how did he understand? Then again, he'd never asked about Alfred' language, or about him speaking English. If he was an alien, he'd have a completely different native language, wouldn't he?

“You got a roommate?” Yekaterina asked cheerily, “how fun! Tell me about him. We will get to meet him, right?”

“He does live here, so yes,” Ivan said. “He is-” Alfred reached around to pinch Ivan's nose and Ivan brushed his hand away. “Childish. Stubborn. Playful, and...sweet, I suppose.” He really was, if a bit thoughtless at times. Always wanting cuddles and to have fun with those around him.

“He sounds lovely. What kinds of things does he like?” Yekaterina asked, and Ivan was about to ask why she wanted to know when she continued. “It is gift-giving season after all, it would only be polite to bring something for him.”

“Oh, um-” It was very difficult to focus on Yekaterina when Alfred was squirming around behind him. What was the alien trying to accomplish? “He- oomph!” Alfred had lurched, wrapping his arms and legs around Ivan and making him stumble forward. He heard Alfred stifling giggles into the space between his shoulders. “I am not sure he needs a gift.”

Alfred squirmed his way around to Ivan's front, his head cocked to the side, like a puppy trying to figure out what was going on around him. That was not fair. What was Ivan supposed to do about a face like that?

“Vanya, don't be mean,” Yekaterina scolded in a gentle way only she was capable of.

Ivan carefully lowered to the floor, wanting something stable under him, and leaned back against the counter with Alfred in his lap. Alfred seemed to have finally calmed down, resting his head on Ivan's chest. His arms unwrapped and slid to his sides as he rested against Ivan. “Astronomy, especially aliens. He also likes trying new foods. And Superman.” Alfred had _loved_ the movie, getting rather excited about the alien superhero's triumph in saving Earth and gaining the leading lady's affections.

“You must get along well,” Yekaterina said with a light giggle at the edge of her voice, “I remember when you were little, you were practically obsessed with astronomy and exploring space. Remember when I took you to the Cosmonautics Museum in Moscow? Oh, you loved it, you had so much fun!”

Ivan smiled fondly at the memory, lightly tracing idle patterns up and down Alfred's back. “Yes, I remember.” He should teach Alfred more about the cosmonauts and Russia's space program. He was sure it would fascinate him.

“Ah, well, I should let you go if we have everything planned,” Yekaterina said after a moment. There was something in her voice, hinting and spilling with secrecy. She giggled, almost a schoolgirl squeal. “I have such a surprise for you!”

“Surprise?” He asked, more out of surprise than asking what it was. She must have been incredibly excited to have mentioned it, although she wasn't the best of secret keepers the begin with.

He listened to her inhale deeply, “Natalya already knows because- well, I can't tell you yet. I want it to be a surprise.”

“Alright,” Ivan said slowly. He tried to puzzle out what it could possibly be and came up with nothing. His free hand traveled from Alfred's back to his hair, twisting a finger around the little cowlick that defied gravity. He thought nothing of Alfred's body relaxing, pressing on him heavily.

“I'll go before I say anything more,” Yekaterina said, “so, we'll arrive the twenty-ninth of December, just before you birthday -oh, I can't believe you're turning twenty-nine already! Anyway- and we'll depart on the eighth of January.”

“That is what we planned,” Ivan said. Alfred's hair might be the softest thing he had ever felt.

“Alright, I shall let Natalya know. She'll drive over to my place, and then we'll catch a flight together to New York.”

“I will be at the airport to pick you up.”

“Good, good, thank you. Well, I will see you a few weeks then. Bye-bye, Vanya, until then!”

“Until then, Katya,” Ivan said. He waited a moment until he heard the line drop and pulled the phone away from his ear, setting it on the floor next to him. He felt better now that that was dealt with. He switched back to English for Alfred, “you were quite the troublemaker while I was on the phone.”

Alfred only purred, long and the pitch slightly softer than usual. He was slack, resting limply on Ivan. Ivan wondered what had brought this on so suddenly.

How would Ivan's sisters react to Alfred? Yekaterina would probably fuss over him, like she did with everyone, and enjoy his youthful energy. Natalia...it was always a sort of hit-or-miss when it came to introducing new people. Especially if they were close to Ivan. She had a tendency of wanting all of her big brother's attention when they were together. And they could not find out about Alfred being an alien, Ivan refused to let his sisters get tangled in that mess.

He experimented absentmindedly, tugging gently on Alfred's cowlick. Another purr, shorter and quieter. Was that it? His whole scalp, or this particular cluster of hairs? Whichever it was, it had made Alfred melt into a puddle. It was...mm. It felt good, having Alfred just lay on him like that, practically sleeping on him. Ivan uncurled his finger from the cowlick and ran his hand through Alfred's hair, pressing lightly to massage his scalp. More purrs, so quiet they could almost pass for snores.

“Alfred?” Maybe he actually was sleeping. He breathing was even enough for it.

“Mm?”

“Nothing.” Ivan would let him be for now and just enjoy the moment. He grabbed the blanket that had fallen to the floor in Alfred's antics and tucked it around the alien, pulling it up over his head of golden hair. Hiding him from the world. The snowfall was picking up, getting heavy enough that he wondered if it was turning into a blizzard. This really was so much better than going anywhere dangerous. At home, simply caring for Alfred and knowing he was safe.

Ivan's eyes trailed to the kitchen table, where Tony was still laying, fluffy guts and hard mechanics out for all to see. He really should find a way to make it up to Alfred. Fix it somehow, or replace it. Something.

* * *

“That should do it.”

“Really? Wow~ you're so cool!”

“Heh, at least _someone_ around here recognizes my awesome skills.”

Gilbert Beilschmidt sat back, lifting up the laptop he'd been working on to inspect it. His neighbor, Feliciano, was not exactly careful with objects and had nearly fried the motherboard. He'd called Gilbert over in a panic, asking if he could possibly fix it.

Because Gilbert was a programmer, a computer technician, and -on the side- an excellent hacker. He'd nearly gotten in trouble more times than he was allowed to brag about, digging to databases and systems he had no business getting into. Unless he _wanted_ to go to jail, but that was another matter entirely. He had been lectured numerous times by his little brother, Ludwig, after receiving warning letters from the various agencies telling him to stop whatever it was he meddling in.

The trick, though, was that Gilbert was not after information or government secrets. Mostly. He simply did it to test his own skills and push them further. Practice makes perfect, as they say, and it was fun. Besides, there was only one secret he was intent on digging up, just for the confirmed proof. He already knew the answer.

Aliens.

He wanted proof of their existence, and for the world's governments to finally admit to encountering them. He _knew_ it was out there. Somewhere. He was still working up his skills for his strategically mapped out plan to, one day, hack into Area 51's computer systems. It would take a lot of work, and he was far from prepared as of yet, but he would get there eventually. He was very determined.

“How much should I pay you?” Feliciano asked as Gilbert stood.

“A dinner date will be enough,” Gilbert said with a cheeky wink.

Feliciano giggled and clapped his hands together, “pasta! Oh, and bring Luddy, we mustn't leave him out.”

Gilbert sighed, feigning disappointment, “I said 'date' but alright. That'll be awesome, too.”

He was only teasing, anyway. He knew of his brother's affections for the little Italian that were, although unknown to Ludwig, returned in full.

After bidding his goodbyes, Gilbert returned to his own apartment, a few doors down and across the hall. He toyed with his phone in his hand, kicking the door shut behind him and locking it. He grabbed a beer from the fridge before heading to his room, landing solidly in his swivel chair. He popped the bottle cap off and took a long swig, and then nudge his computer's mouse to wake the monitor.

Gilbert checked his blog, scrolling through comments and messages he'd received. It always seemed that half were supportive, agreed with him, asked some good questions. And the other half told him he was crazy, paranoid, delusional, and any number of other insults he didn't care enough about to bother with. Those people always assumed he was some unemployed lazy-ass sitting in his parents basement, wearing a tinfoil hat.

That was far from the truth. Gilbert was a programmer for a software company, exercised regularly, and he only worn a tinfoil hat _once_ as a joke. He also shared an apartment with his little brother, not his parents. So what he was determined to find proof of alien life? It was important to him, and it could be important to all of humanity some day. He was doing awesome, important work.

Gilbert searched for one particular person he'd been messaging with, and failed to find anything from him. It wasn't much of a surprise, he seemed to only message Gilbert first if he a specific question to ask. Gilbert didn't know who the guy was, as he kept himself anonymous, seemed very private, and shut down any attempts Gilbert made to gain info about him. From what he was told, the person was a man and he lived in Moscow. He wasn't sure how much of that he believed, but went with it anyway. And some of the _questions_ the guy asked, it definitely had Gilbert's interest piqued.

What should someone do if they found an alien? What would the best method of hiding said alien? Protecting the alien from the government, and scientists, and basically everyone.

Gilbert smirked to himself, toying with some sci-fi story of this being the guy's real life problem. His smirk grew more firm, strained almost, as the story began to play out. Someone who doesn't believe in aliens finding one, not knowing at all what to do with it, and seeking help from the closest thing to an expert he could find.

There was no way.

Gilbert drummed his fingers on his desk for a moment, thinking over an idea, before sitting up. He pulled up the Internet, along with his own hacking software, and got to work.

It took him barely any time at all to trace the IP address belonging to his mysterious friend, and from there it was a piece of cake to get the guy's email address, then track who that email belonged to. Documents began popping up, both public and private records. Everything from his birth certificate to a list of emails he'd made to a publishing company.

“Ivan Braginsky,” Gilbert mumbled. The name was vaguely familiar, something he'd caught in passing. A display in a bookstore, he recalled, as he discovered the man was a rather popular horror novelist. And he _used to_ live in Moscow. His current residence was Albany, New York. About a two and a half hour drive from Gilbert's own home in New York City. Ivan had two sisters back home, and lived alone -supposedly- with a cat, which he adopted from a shelter shortly after moving. Other than that, his life wasn't much. Unless he was hiding something. Either way, Gilbert felt better knowing more about this person. Should something come up or happen, he'd have information to work with.

And, as Gilbert knew, information could be a crucial thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gilbert is a little bit on the paranoid side, honestly. 
> 
> Thanks so much for all the comments/kudos! :)


	9. Alien's First Christmas

December 25. It was snowing heavily, and the sun had already gone down several hours before Ivan had gotten around to his planned task.

He was setting up what few decorations he had, as preparation for when his sisters would arrive. Alfred was following him around, watching his every move and closely inspecting every new addition to the apartment's interior. Ivan didn't particularly care about decorating, but it made Yekaterina happy.

A wreath on the door; a simple, prickly green ring with a big red bow, strings of plastic snowflakes hung up in front of the windows, a small stocking above the TV, and two dolls in the corner of the kitchen counter. Ded Moroz and Snegurachka, handed down from his grandparents. Alfred inspected those closer than anything else, since they were more detailed and noticeably older. Ivan would explain the myths and stories behind the characters at a later date. He wanted to finish putting everything up.

Lastly, he had cleared a small space on his desk. They weren't allowed to bring large trees into the building, so Ivan had picked up a small, fake, one foot tall pine tree a few years ago. He peered over his shoulder at Alfred, who was still watching him intently, neon blue eyes big and bright. Ivan set a small box next to the tree and let a even smaller smile appear. “Would you like to help?”

“With what?” Alfred pressed close enough that their shoulders brushed. His eyes darted around, taking everything in as he fast as he was able. He leaned, getting a closer look at what was in the box.

“Decorating the tree.” Ivan pulled out an ornament, a ceramic ballet slipper. There wasn't much room on the tree to hang too many things, so he only used ones that held meaning. The slipper for Natalya, a gardening spade for Yekaterina, a stack of books for himself, a paw print for Sputnik. He also had a few small snowflakes and stars. And a new one, as a surprise for Alfred. There was one for each of them, and he was a part of Ivan's house now. He pulled that one out first, handing it over carefully. “Here, hang it on a branch by the loop.”

Alfred was gentle with little ornament, looking it over as he had everything else. A flying saucer with a little green alien inside. Ivan noticed the light in his eyes growing brighter, intense in a way that he didn't think he'd seen before. Alfred's expression was blank and unreadable. Ivan had no idea what it meant. Was it good, was it bad? Was he okay?

“Alfred?” Ivan said quietly. That was not the reaction he had been hoping for. Anxiety shot through his stomach and raced up his throat. “Is everything alright?”

Alfred's attention snapped up to him, the light dimming to its normal shine, and he smiled. “Yeah! Where do I put it?”

Ivan let out a relieved breath and returned the smile, “anywhere you wish.” He watched Alfred's gaze roam over the tree, choosing the best spot. Alfred settled for the center, on the side facing Ivan's desk chair. “Perfect.”

What happened with Alfred's eyes, though? That bothered him a little, although Ivan chose to leave it for another time. It was probably nothing to worry about. He would only ask if it happened again.

“I wanna show you a present Arthur and Francis gave me!” Ivan was tugged by the hand to Alfred's room. Considering the stories he had heard about the two, Ivan wondered if he should be concerned. Although, if it was from _both_ , he doubted Arthur would allow anything inappropriate.

Alfred crawled over his bed to reach his backpack on the other side and dug through it. He let out a triumphant “ah-ha!” and sat back, holding up three packs of glow-in-the-dark stars. He looked up at Ivan excitedly. “They have gooey stuff to stick them to the walls. Or the ceiling, Arthur said they're supposed to go on the ceiling. Can I? Please.”

Ivan watched with an amused smile. Something so simple and he was so excited. Why did he ask, though? “Do you really think you must ask to put them up?"

“Well, I mean, since it's your place and all, I thought I would first.”

That didn't sit well with Ivan. He wanted Alfred to feel at home there, because it was his home. Ivan shook his head, “it is yours as much as it is mine. As long as you do not do permanent damage, you may do what you want with your room.” He put a minor emphasis on 'your,' so Alfred would really grasp the intent.

Alfred was staring again, unreadable, his eyes just starting to glow intense before he blinked it away. His demeanor changed too quickly for Ivan to mention it. He gave Ivan a strange look, smiling but also doubtful, or something that said he disagreed. He switched his attention back to the stars in his hands and began opening them, “you wanna help me put them up? You're super tall so you can reach the ceiling better.”

Ivan smirked slightly, though nothing reached his eyes. He supposed the US would never entirely feel like home to him, either, so it was fine. And he had been there for longer than Alfred had been on Earth. He just needed time.

Alfred directed where to put each star, pointing and sometimes bouncing on his toes to be very specific. They seemed random to Ivan at first, until Alfred started naming constellations he had never heard of. Ones found in the night sky of Apollonia. They had enough to fill the ceiling, and a few dripped onto the walls. It all turned out nicely, and Alfred switched the light off to properly view their work.

“Awesome! Almost like home...”

Ivan watched fluorescent blue eyes. Every time he saw them, it reminded him of just how different they were, how alien Alfred really was. He is not human, Ivan had to keep reminding himself, although he wasn't sure why he felt the need to do so. He knew that fact very well, always feeling a twinge of paranoia that someone, or multiple someones, would take Alfred away just because of what he was.

“Oh!” The light flicked back on and Alfred padded over to his dresser, kneeling down to open the bottom drawer. “I have a present for you, too, since it's tradition for this time of year on Earth.”

Ivan felt his heart stutter for a split second. Alfred...got a gift for him? He hadn't received a gift from anyone, outside of his sisters, in a long time. His mind reeled at what it could possibly be. He knew Alfred didn't have much money. He had gotten Alfred a gift, of course, but he hadn't been expecting one in return.

Alfred was back in front of him, holding something wrapped sloppy in newspaper and tape. He wiggled it, “are you gonna open it?”

Ivan blinked, not realizing he'd been staring numbly, and quickly took the gift. “Yes, of course. Thank you.” He was too surprised to remember he should be smiling politely. Despite the crude wrapping, he was careful in picking off the tape and peeling back the newspaper. As he did so, he tried to guess at what it was. It was round, with a flat top and bottom, and it was hard.

He pulled out a glass jar with a strange blue trapped under a ring of silver. The glass was frosted white, hiding whatever it held inside. When he tried to open it, Alfred clamped a hand over his, eyes almost panicking.

“What-”

“It's a light,” Alfred smiled sheepishly, “I made it. It's solar powered, so you just have to leave it under the sun for a while and it'll be all bright and stuff at night.”

He made it. Alfred _made_ it, which took time and thought and hands putting things together. And he decided to catch sunlight and put it in a jar. For Ivan. He was touched, to say the least. He didn't think he had ever received such a nice gift before. More expensive, certainly, and more well-made. But this was far more meaningful than any of those, he may have to put in on par with his scarf.

Bottled sunlight.

“Spacibo,” he mumbled, turning the gift over in his hands delicately, not wanting to jostle anything inside. There was a light bulb, he was sure, and probably some wiring and battery. He suddenly felt self-conscious of the gift he'd gotten for Alfred.

Alfred grinned, ecstatic and electric, “it was nothing, really.”

It was not nothing to Ivan, but he let the statement go unnoticed. He turned sharply, walking out of the room and down to his own.

Alfred's smile fell, “wait, where're you going?” He followed after him, close on his heels. “Do you not like it?”

Ivan stopped dead. Had he given that impression? “Nyet, I-...I like it very much. I have something for you as well, I must get it.”

Alfred beamed again, even more excited than before. “Aw, thanks. I love presents!”

He didn't even know what it was yet. From the floor of his closet, Ivan retrieved a package and handed it over, nervous of what Alfred would think of it.

Alfred snatched up his gift. Ivan had picked a few things, none of which had been hand made, by himself or anyone. One was from a small comic book shop downtown he had passed on many occasions, and the other two from the secondhand shop Alfred got his coat from. The package was flimsy, dressed neatly in black wrapping paper and purple ribbons.

Alfred crinkled it between his fingers, feeling for what it might be. With far less grace than Ivan had used, he tore open the paper and pulled out his gifts. Three shirts. Two long sleeved, one black and white striped cotton and the other a galaxy print sweater, both a size too big because he knew Alfred liked over-sized clothes. The third was a blue t-shirt with Superman's symbol on the front and a red cape that attached to the shoulders by Velcro, in a size that would fit properly.

Alfred held them up with amazement in his eyes. When he didn't say anything, Ivan spoke up. “I thought you could use some new clothes, since you don't have many.”

He jumped slightly when Alfred was suddenly gripping him around the middle in a tight hug. “Thank you! I love them. The Superman one is my favorite.”

Ivan smiled and patted Alfred's shoulders, “I figured it would be.” Now he could stop using Ivan's sweater as a 'cape' and actually _wear_ it like he was supposed to. And he was glad Alfred appreciated the gifts. He really did need some new clothes, especially if his stay on Earth was going to be long-term. Even more so if it was permanent.

Ivan also had new rules they needed go over and he wanted to make sure he had time to really get them through Alfred's head, and deal with any upset before his sisters arrived. Which was precisely why he was informing Alfred of them a few days early.

Ivan set the solar light on his nightstand and had Alfred put his new shirts away. He wasn't particularly looking forward to this, as he knew some of them, if not all, were most likely going to upset Alfred. Ivan had already arranged the sleeping arrangements; Yekaterina and Natalia would take Alfred's room, and Alfred would sleep on the couch. He seemed fine with that idea, although he did question why he couldn't just sleep in Ivan's bed. Ivan explained that humans generally don't share beds, unless they are children or in an intimate relationship. And then he had to awkwardly define 'intimate' after Alfred insisted he and Matthew frequently slept in the same bed. And sharing a bed in the hotel had been out of necessity.

Now, for the rules, Ivan had Alfred sit on the couch while he sat on the other end and explained.

Rules for while Yekaterina and Natalia are visiting:   
_1\. They can not find out you are an alien_  
 _2\. You have to bathe by yourself_

“Why? Do you think it's weird for people to bathe together? Mattie and I do all the time. It saves water, you know.”

“That is not the point, Alfred, now pay attention.” There had been several occasions where Alfred asked Ivan if he wanted to join him in the tub. He always said 'no,' of course, and showered later. Alone.

_3\. Pretend you are human_   
_4\. No purring, if you can help it_   
_5\. Do not let them see you in the dark _   
_6\. Less hugs, limit is two per day_

Alfred frowned, the smallest pout jutting his bottom lip out, and Ivan remained stern. These needed to be implemented, it would only last a week or so, he would be fine. Ivan would not let his sisters be dragged into the mess of hiding an alien.

“But I need physical contact, Ivan, you know that.”

“I know,” Ivan sighed. He knew it would take some convincing and carefully placed words to get Alfred comfortable with these new rules. “But, as I said, my sisters do not know what you are, and you are not to tell them.”

“Shouldn't you be able to trust your sisters?” Alfred asked, eyes narrowing slightly. Humans confused him, somewhat. There were people like Francis, who thrived on contact and being open with others. And then there were ones like Ivan and Arthur, who rejected those kinds of notions almost completely, unless they were comfortable with you. Even then, it was limited. Of all the humans on Earth, shouldn't Ivan's own sisters be the ones he allowed such things with?

“It not a matter of my trust in them,” Ivan explained, “should something happen, I do not want anyone to be able to trace anything back to them. Be it knowledge of what you are, or where you came from. They are to stay out of this, understood?”

Alfred picked at the knees of his jeans, finding his toenails rather interesting at the moment. “When are they gonna be here, again?”

“In just a few days, on the twenty-ninth.”

“And I'm gonna be sleeping on the couch.”

“You will. And they will be sleeping in your room.”

Alfred made himself as compact as he could, his knees to his chest and arms curled between. Ivan watched him, wondering what specific thoughts were floating through his mind. It was easy for Alfred to feel lonely, especially considering his situation. Ivan hoped his attention being divided between him and two sisters wouldn't amplify that.

Ivan glanced at the clock, “it is late, and you have work in the morning. Why don't you get ready for bed?”

Neon blue eyes flicked up at him for a split second before Alfred nodded and silently padded away to his room. Ivan ran a hand through his hair. He didn't want to put these restrictions on him, they were only precautions to avoid unnecessary messes. Maybe if things went well and Alfred got along with his sisters, or at least Yekaterina, he would be happier with the temporary situation.

* * *

Ivan wasn't sure what woke him up. Something about the time and his curtains were open. He peeled his tongue off the roof of his mouth. Sputnik was sound asleep, curled up in her usual spot. Ivan's eyes were fixed out the window, at the glow of moon and streetlights. Lingering sleep made gravity press heavily and his breathing remained rhythmically steady. He turned his head slightly, toward Sputnik, wondering why in the world he was awake. It was early morning, the sun hadn't even come up yet.

He was parched, though, his mouth exceedingly dry. Maybe that was it.

Ivan pushed his blanket off and slid his feet to floor, getting up. He grabbed the glass of water he always kept by his bedside and started for the kitchen, footsteps careful and quiet. The floorboards, due the apartment complex being rather old, could be quite squeaky in certain areas, and he did not want to wake any sleeping aliens.

That is, if aliens were indeed sleeping like they were supposed to be. Ivan could hear shuffling footsteps behind Alfred's door and drew closer, wondering what he was doing awake at this hour. Alfred was not the night owl Ivan was, often waking up early enough to greet the sun. The door was cracked open, just barely, as Alfred had been leaving it for a while now. He began doing that after finding out Ivan would check on him when he paced the apartment at night.

Ivan moved as close as he could without alerting the other to his presence. Shuffling and then silence, shuffling and then silence. As though Alfred had taken to pacing, plus periodic pauses. Ivan moved centimeter by centimeter until he was in a spot that allowed him to peek through the sliver between door and door frame. The ceiling glowed softly with Alfred's stars, a night sky that was far too close. Alfred himself had come a stop in front of the window and promptly sat, criss-crossing his legs and tucking his ankles close.

Ivan heard Alfred take in a deep breath before speaking, staring up at something.

“Hi,” he started in a quiet whisper. “They call you Luna, right?”

He was talking to the moon?

“Well, um. I was wondering...if...if I'm gonna be on your planet for a long time, do you think you could-. Please, send my brother a message? He's an Apollonian named Matthew Williams. He's in the universe. Somewhere. I don't know _where_ specifically, but I'm sure you do because. Well, you're a moon. Please tell him that I miss him, and I love him, and I'm thinking about him all the time. Let him know that I'm alive and I'm okay.”

He nodded to himself, thinking over what all he wanted to say. “It's really important that you get this message to him, okay, Luna? Please. We...we're the only family we have left, so-” He leaned against the wall, hands gripping the windowsill. His breath held a tremble as he fell silent. Ivan couldn't see his face, had no way of knowing what expression had come to rest there. He hoped it wasn't a painful one.

A quiet sniffle came from Alfred. A pang shot through Ivan's chest at the thought that he was crying again. Did he do this every night, or was the first time? Ivan wanted to go in and do something about it, but he assumed Alfred was praying, or something similar, and thought it would be best to let him finish. He probably wouldn't appreciate Ivan intruding on something so personal.

After several loudly silent moments, punctuated only by the faint sound of the clock ticking in the living room, Ivan stepped in. Alfred jumped at the sound of the door hinges creaking, his head swaying with drowsiness. Ivan set his glass on the nightstand and gripped Alfred's shoulders, bringing him to his feet. Alfred eyed him over his shoulder, eyelids drooping and showing just how tired he really was.

“To bed, little one,” he said softly, guiding him to where he needed to be. Alfred crawled in easily, curling up as Ivan drew the blanket up around him. In his nearly asleep state, Alfred tried to cling to Ivan's hand. He pried away, returning to his previous idea of getting water now that Alfred was back in bed.

Ivan would not tell Alfred what he had heard. He was not supposed to have in the first place, and it would be rude not to purposely forget. What Alfred asked of the moon was not something Ivan could do for him, it was private and there was no reason or need to bring it into the light of day.

As far as Ivan knew, Matthew was still on the spaceship Alfred had left, safe and sound. If Alfred did come to him seeking reassurance and comfort, that is what Ivan would tell him. He didn't think there was anywhere else Matthew could be.

* * *

Matthew picked at the chest harness of his safetybelt. He was seated behind his crew's co-captain, who sat next to their assigned pilot. Under normal circumstances, podship crews consisted of four members from the main crew. Due to the mission they were sent on, however, it had been trimmed down to three. In the seat that should have held the fourth member was Matthew's Friend, Kumajiro, which he had set to pick up radio signals, or signals from other Friends. He had even strapped it in, as though it were a person and not a device with the appearance of a white bear cub.

Matthew watched the black world outside the window, at the stars so many light years away. They had successfully made it into the Milky Way galaxy.

His insides froze with jitter at the sight of a comet passing by, far enough away that it appeared as a thin bluish white streak, lasting barely half a second and disappearing as fast as it had shown up.

The pilot cleared her throat and adjusted their trajectory, “now entering what planet Earth calls the Oort cloud. Our computer scans have confirmed it to be a high risk danger area, so be prepared.”

As prepared as they could be, considering what the Oort cloud was. A shell of icy space stuff, swirling around the outer reaches of the solar system, and birthed most long-term comets. In _Earth's_ solar system. They were so close, Matthew's heart was beginning to pound as adrenaline spiked, and not from possible danger. From the idea of being so close to finding Alfred. He knew he was on Earth, he could feel it. Twins, as was well known on their planet, had a unique mental connection. Matthew would just _know_ if something had happened to Alfred. That connection would fall as dead as his brother, and that had not happened.

Kumajiro's eyes flashed twice just as their podship stuttered in its movements, raising to avoid a small rock.

Ignoring what was going on with the outside -he was not the pilot and had no control over what happened anyway-, he reached over and squeezed Kumajiro's paw. His brow scrunched, wondering what was coming through, before they shot up in recognition. Radio signals from Voyager 1, a satellite sent out by humans quite a few years ago. Other planets had come across the signals, collected the data, and shared it with a few other planets to dissect and study. The Murmurs of Earth, they called it. The signals transmitted many greetings in fifty-five different languages from the planet, sounds of oceans and machinery, animals and humans, pictures landscapes and wildlife, industrialized areas with tall buildings and concrete ground.

Matthew pressed a different button in the same paw, transferring the data to his glasses. He let the pictures slide across slowly, one by one. Anatomy pictures of humans, those were the most fascinating. To a doctor, anyway. In outward appearance, they were nearly identical. Alfred would have passed as one of them easily, so he may be in hiding if they turned out to be hostile. Some aliens had claimed they were, some claimed it depended on the area of Earth.

More pictures, of fish and other sea creatures, daffodils, humans working or with animals, schoolrooms, sports.

An landing strip in a place called Toronto looked promising. They had in-atmosphere ships that may be useful in helping him locate Alfred faster. He could cover more ground, rather than trekking across the land by foot.

Matthew gasped when the podship jerked violently, narrowly avoiding collision. He gulped, eying the passing void outside with worry. This was not the only risky area they would be passing through. After this, before the planet named Neptune, was the Kuiper Belt, holding even more comets, along with asteroids and small icy bodies. And then, between Jupiter and Mars, was the Asteroid Belt, which speaks for itself.

Matthew prayed to the gods they made it through alright. If Alfred made it, then so could they. Besides, it would do no good if they didn't make it to Earth alive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure how I feel about this chapter. It's shorter and just...eh. Also, I'm not entirely sure how Voyager 1 works. I know it's sending out radio signals, but I don't know if they'd actually be able to pick up the pictures on the Golden Record. For the sake of the story, let's say alien technology can.
> 
> Important note! Please read! I don't think I'm going to be updating every Thursday anymore. I feel like the past few chapters have been kind of rushed and I'd like more time to work on them, since I don't have any prewritten. I also have some things about the plot that I need to smooth out and piece together better. I feel like I could be doing this whole story better, honestly. Anyway, I'll try not to make the updates too far apart but, yeah, sorry!


	10. Your Alien and Your Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Russian will be shown in italics, while people are speaking.

Alfred sat on the couch, backwards to watch the door. Sputnik was curled up on his criss-crossed legs, and he kept glancing back at the clock. It was silent. Too silent. He didn't like it and it was starting to make him antsy. His fingers had switched from picking at the couch fabric to drumming restlessly just for some kind of _noise_ besides the ticking of the clock. He wanted Ivan to come back already. _Where was he?_ Neon blue eyes focused on the door so hard it almost hurt, and his head whipped around -another glance at the clock- only to return to the door just as fast.

It was the first time Alfred had been left home alone. Not on purpose, however. Somewhere in Ivan's conversation with Yekaterina, between Natalia trying to pry the phone from her and Alfred trying to inform him that Sputnik had eaten something she wasn't supposed to, the time the womens' plane landed had been misheard. Ivan ended up being at the airport an hour early. Alfred was still at work by the time he left and ended up back at the apartment before they did.

Alfred fidgeted. And drummed his fingers. And _waited._ Sputnik had fallen asleep at some point, so he couldn't talk to or play with her. Alfred didn't mind too much, anyway. He wanted Ivan. Alfred pressed his cheek to the couch with a small huff. He hated this. And Alfred wasn't even allowed to hug Ivan when he _finally_ got home. All because of those stupid rules he had for while his sisters were there.

Alfred's head popped up and he sat up straight when he heard knocking at the door. He tilted his head to the side. It wasn't Ivan, he had a key and wouldn't have knocked at his own apartment. Sputnik had woken up as well, raising her own head.

There was something on the other side of the door.

“I should answer it,” Alfred scooped Sputnik up, receiving a protesting meow, and set her on the couch. He got up and padded over to the door, hoping that maybe Ivan had forgotten his key.

When he swung it open with a smile, it faltered upon seeing that it was definitely _not_ Ivan. He sighed in disappointment. This human was shorter, rounder, and was not wearing a scarf. Instead, he wore a tan uniform and held a small cardboard box.

“Delivery for Ivan Braginsky.”

“He isn't here right now.” Alfred eyed the box critically, wondering who sent something to Ivan.

“Well, I just need you to sign for it.” The man held out a clipboard with a pen attached by a cord. Alfred grabbed it and examined it. “...On the line, here,” the man pointed impatiently to a dotted line at the bottom of the page.

“What am I supposed to sign?”

“Your name.” Alfred glanced at him, noting his irritated tone, and quickly scribbled his name where he had been told. He handed the clipboard back and the man shoved the package into his hands before walking away without another word.

“Rude,” Alfred muttered before shutting the door, not thinking to lock it.

He held the package up and sniffed it, then held it higher and turned it over. What was it? He held it to his ear and shook it, hearing a dull thud move back and forth. Alfred wondered if he should open it. It wasn't his, the man had said it was for Ivan. So Alfred read the labels.

It had been sent from a man named Toris Lorinaitis, as far as Alfred could tell. He didn't recognize the address, although it was somewhere in Albany. Alfred shook the box again, listening to the thudding sound it made. Ivan wouldn't mind if he opened it, right? Besides, it could be-

Alfred's eyes widened and he stiffened. It could be something _dangerous_! Ivan was always worrying about people going after Alfred, but what about people going after Ivan? Alfred had read about these kinds of things. People sending poisons and explosives through the mail to hurt others. And it was Alfred's job to protect Ivan while he was on Earth. Alfred liked to think that, at least. He could be Ivan's hero.

Determination set in and he gripped the box tightly. Alfred held his breath as he carefully drew his arm back and threw as hard as he could, diving behind the couch. The box was sent flying down the hallway, landing with a _thunk_ and sliding to a stop. Alfred peeked up over the couch, noting the distinct lack of an explosion.

Alfred crawled around the couch and toward the hall, eyes narrowed on his target. _The box_.

* * *

“Tell me more about Alfred, you've barely mentioned him!”

Ivan sighed, carrying both suitcases for his sisters as they followed him down the hallway. After arriving a full hour earlier than he was supposed to, it had been hectic to get through the crowds of people flying in and out of New York. He had tried to avoid leaving Alfred home alone, but he hadn't had a choice. He _thought_ he hadn't had a choice.

“He is...strange, Katyusha,” Ivan answered. He supposed he should give them some sort of warning, should Alfred do anything. “Um, sometimes he says or does weird things. I am not sure what else you want to know. You will meet him in just a few moments.”

“I can't wait!” Yekaterina smiled brightly. Natalia stood next to her, silent and as hard to read as ever. Earlier, she had voiced her distaste in Ivan's sudden decision to get a roommate, and afterwards had so far remained silent on the subject.

Ivan set the luggage down and fished his keys out of his pocket to unlock the door. When he tried the handle, it didn't budge. He groaned internally at realizing Alfred _left the door unlocked_. He twisted the key back the other way and successfully pushed it open.

When he picked the bags up, he dropped them once again when something came soaring and hit the wall next to his head. He could see Alfred sitting on the floor by the coffee table, a fixed glare on his face, aimed at whatever had hit the wall, until he spotted Ivan and his eyes brightened up with a grin.

“You're home!”

Ivan's mouth hung open as he realized what had happened. Alfred had thrown something at him. Or the wall, he couldn't be sure. A book that Ivan thought he recognized to some high degree. Scattered between the door and the couch were what appeared to be bits of shredded cardboard. What was Alfred _doing_?

“Alfred...”

Alfred was on his feet, quickly making his way toward Ivan who still hadn't stepped into the apartment. His sisters were behind him, watching curiously. Alfred bent and grabbed the book, holding it up with a proud gleam in his eye.

“I made sure this wasn't dangerous for you.”

Now that it was closer, Ivan fully registered exactly what book it was. His book, the new one with the cover Felix had designed. He had finished not too long ago. It was more of a prototype, and the finished product would likely have slight alterations. It was still important, though, and Alfred...was throwing it around.

Ivan closed his eyes for a moment, gritting his teeth. “Just step back so we can come in.”

Alfred frowned and did as asked. As the three walked in, Yekaterina stopped to hug him, which Alfred returned happily.

“You must be Alfred, I'm so happy to meet you.” She pulled back with a warm smile, gripping his shoulders.

“Nice to meet you, too,” Alfred said, his voice holding a slight squeak as he contained a purr. He peered over her shoulder, at Natalia, “hello.”

Natalia eyed him up and down before turning to Ivan, “ _big brother, must you keep it here?_ ”

Ivan set the luggage down by the couch, pausing for a split second at Natalia's words. She could not _tell_ just by looking at Alfred, there was no way. He turned to his family, clearing his throat. “Yekaterina, Natalia, this is Alfred. Alfred, these are my sisters. _And yes, Natasha, he lives here. Do not be rude_.”

She huffed at him and crossed her arms over her chest.

“Alfred, let me see that,” Ivan marched over and took the book from him.

“I thought it might be a bomb!”

Ivan shot him a mild glare that still had him shrinking back. The corners were scuffed, a few pages had folded at awkward angles, and there was a small scratch on the front cover. He knew he shouldn't have left Alfred home alone. In hindsight, he could have called Arthur and had him stay an extra hour at work.

“Excuse me, I must speak to him about this.” Ivan grabbed Alfred's wrist and pulled him into his room before they had time to say anything. Ivan closed the door and Alfred immediately latched onto his middle.

“Alfred,” Ivan tossed the book onto the bed and tried prying his arms away. He only held on tighter, refusing to budge. “Alfred,” Ivan repeated, harsher. Alfred slowly let go and wrapped his arms around himself, staring at the floor. “What happened while I was gone?”

Alfred shrugged, “nothing much. I was waiting for you on the couch, some guy knocked and had a package for you-”

“You answered the door? It could have been anyone. Not to mention, you left it unlocked. You need to be more careful, Alfred.”

“I thought it might be you so, yeah, I answered the door. But then it was just some rude delivery guy, and I had to make sure it wasn't a bomb! I was trying to protect you.”

“I-” Ivan sighed, eyes sliding to the book. _Alfred_ trying to protect _him_? He wasn't the one that needed protecting. “No more answering the door when I am not here, and no more talking to strangers. Understood?” Not that he was planning on leaving Alfred home alone again.

“Fine.” Alfred fidgeted on his feet, watching his toes curl over the hardwood floor.

“And clean up the mess you made. I assume that was the box.”

“'Kay.”

Ivan wasn't even going to ask why Alfred tore it up. There were times he really just did not understand how the alien's mind worked. And he was still staring at his feet, hugging himself. Ivan wasn't sure what do with him at the moment. His sisters, who he hadn't seen in a year, had already been left alone in the living room so he could deal with Alfred. Neon blue eyes glanced up at Ivan repeatedly before diving back under their lids.

Ivan placed a hand on Alfred's head in an attempt to make him feel better. “Just behave yourself, alright?”

Ivan grabbed the doorknob, watching Alfred nod before leaving the room. He had taken several steps down the hall before he heard Alfred following behind.

Ivan noted the suitcases had been put in the guest room and smiled at his sisters, “I apologize, but it was important that I spoke with him.”

“It is fine,” Yekaterina said, appearing a little confused. Natalia remained silent, going to cling to Ivan's arm as she watched Alfred gather the shredded cardboard. Yekaterina nibbled her lip to hold down a spreading grin, “I want to show you the surprise now.” She giggled and Ivan noticed she had an envelope in her hands. She thrust it at him, watching expectantly.

Ivan glanced at her before accepting it. As he tore it open, Alfred came to stand next to him, on the opposite side from Natalia, now that he had cleaned up his mess. Ivan carefully picked open the envelope, distinctly noting Yekaterina's palpable excitement as she bit her lip and clasped her hands. When he pulled out a filmy piece of paper, he couldn't tell what it was. It appeared to be black and gray blurs, until it slowly dawned on him that it was...

“You are pregnant?” A sonogram.

Yekaterina nearly squealed and bounced on her toes. “Yes! You and Natalia are going to be an aunt and uncle.”

“Oh~ congrats!” Alfred said, mostly to Yekaterina.

“Thank you,” her smile glowed with a certain warmth, radiating happiness.

Ivan could only stare dumbly at the picture. A baby. His big sister was having a baby. What the hell do you do with a pregnant person? “Sit down,” Ivan ushered her over to the couch and gently insisted she sit.

Yekaterina giggled again, “Vanya, I am fine.”

“They have been trying for a while,” Natalia commented, taking a seat next to her.

“We have, and it finally happened,” Yekaterina gushed, hands pressed delicately over her abdomen.

Ivan was staring again, unsure of what to say or do. She couldn't have been very far along yet, there was barely even a noticeable bump. She was also wearing a rather loose-fitting top. “Should you be traveling?”

“The doctor said it was alright,” Yekaterina said, “Dmitri was worried, especially since he stays home this time of year, but I assured him you wouldn't let anything happen.”

Ivan still wasn't sure what to say. Alfred crouched on the floor, next to Yekaterina's knees, and leaned on the couch. He marveled at Yekaterina's belly, something alone the lines of amazement in his eyes. He couldn't _do_ anything to the baby, could he? Turn it into some human-alien hybrid while it was still in the womb. Ivan shook his head. No, that was too fictional. Besides, Alfred was...not gentle, exactly, but Ivan was sure he would never do anything that might hurt anyone.

“It's a girl, you know,” Yekaterina said, breaking the silence that had settled. “If you look at the picture, you can see. Well, the ultrasound technician could. She's beautiful, isn't she?”

Ivan took another look at the picture. Beautiful? He couldn't really see...her. In detail. The outline was cute. A small round head, a shallow indent of where eyes were, the tip of a very tiny nose. His sister was having a baby.

“We've been thinking up some names. I like Anna and Dmitri likes Masha, although we might go with something a little more unique.”

“How...for how long have you been...?” Ivan couldn't take his eyes off the sonogram picture.

“Just over four months,” Yekaterina bit her lip sheepishly, “I know you would have preferred I tell you sooner, but I so wanted to tell you face to face. It's too exciting to do it over the phone.”

“There is videochat now, you know,” Ivan mumbled. Another few months and he would have a niece. Would he be a good uncle? He'd certainly try, although he wasn't sure what kind of responsibility that would entail.

Yekaterina frowned and lightly smacked his knee, “that's not the same.”

“Can you feel her?” Alfred asked.

“Sometimes. The doctor says, since this is our first child, I may not really feel much until around twenty-five weeks. There is the occasional kick, though they're very small.” Yekaterina ran her hands over her slightly rounded belly, smiling warmly.

For a long while, the four talked only of Yekaterina's pregnancy. What kinds of things the doctor had told her, things she was cautioned to stay away from, or that she needed to do to keep up her health. What she and Dmirtri planned to do with the nursery, how Natalia was planning on spending a few weeks with them after the baby was born. Ivan wondered if he should be there as well, and Yekaterina insisted that, although she would love for him to, it was perfectly fine if he didn't. Ivan made tea for himself and his sisters, and hot chocolate for Alfred.

After a few sips, Yekaterina made a sour face and set her cup down, rushing to the bathroom. “Please excuse me.”

“Are you alright?” Ivan asked, standing.

“Morning sickness,” Natalia explained.

“I thought morning sickness was supposed to happen...in the morning,” Ivan went after her to make sure she really was fine, leaving Alfred and Natalia alone.

Natalia looked at Alfred, who was still crouched on the floor as he leaned against the couch. The two stared at each other for several long moments. Alfred sipped his hot chocolate, Natalia held her tea in both hands on her lap.

“Brother cares for you,” Natalia stated simply. Alfred nodded slowly, unsure of why that needed to be pointed out. Natalia sipped her tea again, taking her time. “He cares for me more.”

Alfred fidgeted, nibbling the ceramic edge of his mug, choosing to glare mildly at the floor rather than Ivan's sister. “Well...you are his family.” He didn't want to look at her anymore, and instead casted his eyes to Ivan's forgotten mug of tea. He would probably say he cared about Matthew more than he did Ivan, although the thought was uncomfortable. Alfred squirmed. Ivan was different than Matthew. Matthew was his brother, Ivan was...something else. He was sure he was 'something else' to Ivan, too.

Natalia narrowed her eyes at him. “Why did you choose to live with brother?”

“I didn't. He said I could, so. I live here for now.”

Natalia's brow raised. Ivan chose, on his own, to have this kid live with him? “Why?”

Alfred shrugged, not liking her questions. Ivan made it very clear they were not to know about his being an alien. “He takes care of me.”

Natalia wasn't sure what to make of that. She knew her brother. He could be impulsive occasionally, and he did tend to care for others more than he probably should. There was certainly something...off...about Alfred, something not quite right. Something she couldn't put her finger on. Was that why Ivan kept him there? A strange thing to study. Natalia decided she liked that reasoning and would assume it was correct, unless her big brother stated otherwise.

Yekaterina and Ivan returned from the bathroom. Ivan eyed his sister and his alien. “I hope you two are getting along well.”

Natalia huffed and turned away. Alfred's eyes were burning again as he stared at nothing, and Ivan nudged him with his foot to make him stop. If his sisters saw that, there would be no explaining it without telling the truth. And Ivan still didn't know what that was all about yet.

In fact, Ivan was starting to worry. For the rest of the day, Alfred had kept unusually quiet. Mostly only speaking when spoken to, he hadn't complained about not being able to hug Ivan, and hadn't even purred at all. Ivan had thought he'd need to be worried constantly about Alfred's alien habits, but that didn't seem to be that case. He was somewhat relieved, and also concerned. Was this just what Alfred thought normal humans acted like, or was something wrong? He was getting Alfred set up for bed when he asked.

“Are you alright? You've been quiet today.”

“I'm fine.” Alfred fluffed his pillow, now stuffed in the crook of the couch, and wrapped his blanket around himself. Ivan had tucked a sheet around the couch for him to sleep on. Alfred wished he had Tony to cuddle. He settled for a spare pillow, hugging it to his chest.

“Are you sure?” Ivan persisted. Alfred would tell him if something was bothering him. Right?

“I'm fine,” Alfred repeated. He grabbed a book off the coffee table and wiggled it, “I'm gonna read this tonight. Natalia said it was your first book.”

Ivan glanced over the cover. A snowy forest with the title, General Winter, written an icy blue font. “It was. You do not have to read it, though.”

“No, I want to,” Alfred held the book close, his thumb running over the edge of the pages.

“Alright. Well, if you are sure you are fine, I will leave you alone.” Just as Ivan was about to turn and head to his own room, he saw Alfred wilt in the corner of his eye. He sighed and walked over to give him a hug.

A small amount of relief washed over him when he heard Alfred purr. He was quite a vocal little alien, and it was disconcerting to see him so quiet. And then Alfred kissed his cheek and Ivan blinked.

“You didn't tell me you liked goodnight kisses!”

“What?” Ivan pulled back and stood straight.

“I saw Natalia do it, and you looked happy,” Alfred seemed rather proud of himself for having noticed.

“I, uh...” Ivan was fairly certain his face was some shade pink. He cleared his throat, “goodnight, Alfred.”

“Goodnight.” Alfred flopped onto his back and opened the book to the first page.

In his room, Ivan dressed for bed. He lightly ran his hands under the area Alfred had kissed. He didn't want to touch the actual spot, for some unknown reason, and avoided it. He could still feel a lingering sense of pressure there. Ivan crawled into bed, reaching a hand over to pet Sputnik. She wasn't fond of company and had stayed in Ivan's room for most of the day, only making an appearance to eat or drink. Actually, it was a bit strange how quickly she had taken to Alfred. Maybe it was because he wasn't human.

Ivan picked up the book on his nightstand and began reading. He would have to figure out something to do while he couldn't sleep. He didn't want to disturb Alfred by pacing the apartment, so he thought it would be best to just stay in his room. It was a little confining, but he could handle it. Maybe he would just read until he fell asleep. That had never worked for him before, though.

Nearly two hours passed and at the stroke of midnight, it was the 30th of December. His phone buzzed on his nightstand and for a brief second, Ivan assumed it was one of his sisters. Until he remembered they were in Alfred's room. If they needed to tell him something, they could just walk down the hall. Furrowing his brow, Ivan picked up his phone to check it. It was a message from _Find The Truth_.

_Happy birthday ;)_

Ivan sat up and swallowed thickly, reading the text over and over and over. His hands started to shiver and he tossed the device onto the mattress. How. How the _fuck_ could this person know it was his birthday? It was suddenly difficult to breathe and Ivan forced himself to inhale. He needed to calm down and think. He was so careful about the information he gave out. He knew he hadn't told them his birthday, there was no reason to, it had never even come up. So _how?_

He asked him basically that. _Why do you think it is my birthday?_

And Alfred. Did they know about him? As unlikely as it was, with Alfred having no evidence of existing on Earth, it was still something he needed to worry about.

Ivan got out of bed and quietly left his room. He went to the bathroom, casting a glance down the hall at the living room. Alfred appeared to be asleep, his back facing Ivan. He was fine. Ivan felt himself somewhat relax at seeing him and quickly went about his business, then returned to his room.

Ivan closed the door behind him as quietly as he could and went to get back in bed. When he tossed the blanket back, a jolt of panic shot through his nerves before relaxing. He had to take a few calming breaths before he was able to speak.

“Alfred, what are you doing in here? I thought you were asleep.”

Alfred pushed himself up, looking very serious, and scooted over to sit directly in front of Ivan. “I need to stay in here.”

“We have already been over this-”

“No, really, Ivan. It's best to stick together when ghosts are around.”

Ivan stared at him, at determined neon blue eyes, “what?”

“The ghosts, Ivan.” Alfred latched himself onto Ivan's middle, squeezing tight as he peeked over Ivan's shoulder at the open space behind him. “Don't worry, I'll protect you from them.”

Ivan still wasn't sure what he was talking about. He put a hand on Alfred's head, running his thumb over silky gold strands. When Ivan left him in the living room, he had been reading _General Winter_ , which was a ghost story of sorts. Was that what had gotten him so worked up? He'd said Natalia had handed it to him, which was more than likely for this very purpose. “Did you scare yourself reading?”

“No!” Alfred denied a bit too fast.

Ivan giggled lightly at him. “There are no ghosts, Alfred, now go back to bed.”

Alfred squeezed tighter, letting out a quiet whine. “I have to sleep in here.”

“You _have_ to?” Ivan asked, smirking.

“Yep.”

“Are you not concerned about Yekaterina and Natalia?”

“They're fine 'cause they're together. But you want us to separate, and that's not okay.”

Ivan frowned when his phone vibrated again, a small symbol lighting up to let him know he had received a message. Right. The alien blogger had known it was his birthday, some how, and it had heightened Ivan's somewhat persistent paranoia with anything concerning Alfred. He was torn between wanting to keep him close and not wanting his sisters to get any...ideas.

Ivan removed Alfred's glasses, setting them on his nightstand, on top of the book he'd been reading. Even if Alfred wouldn't admit it, he was afraid. Of wispy beings he couldn't see, that probably weren't even there. Still, he was afraid, and he'd gone to Ivan for safety.

Ivan sat on the bed, leaning back against the headboard. Alfred rubbed his cheek on Ivan's shoulder, purring quietly as he inched closer and rested against Ivan's side. Ivan wasn't tired yet, but it was later than when Alfred was usually in bed.

“I think I should get to sleep in here,” Alfred said.

“Do you.” Ivan was acutely aware of the body heat rolling off of Alfred and the way it was warming his own skin.

“I followed all of your rules today.”

Ivan snorted, “and, what? You think you deserve a reward?” He was only teasing at this point, prodding to see what kind of response he would be given. Ivan intended to let Alfred stay for the night, if only to ease his own nerves. Plus, he would probably be awake and out of the room early enough that Ivan's sisters wouldn't find out.

“Well, it's not like I _have_ to do what you say. I could have been super touchy and hugged you constantly, or I could have told your sisters I'm from a another planet.”

“You'd better not,” Ivan mumbled. He wouldn't be surprised, though, if that did happen.

“I only _let_ you tell me what to do, 'cause you know how to survive on Earth.”

“Is that it?” It was really the only reason Ivan gave him rules in the first place. Aside from general house rules, nearly everything he did was to keep him safe.

“Yeah.”

“Alright. But you had better not keep me up all night, thinking there are ghosts after you. I barely sleep as it is.”

Alfred smiled and purred again, louder, as he wiggled under the blanket. Sputnik mewed, moving from the pillow she'd been on to curl up by Alfred's neck. He settled, burrowing into the bedding and the mattress, and firmly closed his eyes with a sleepy yawn. Now that Alfred was content, Ivan grabbed his phone. The message from _Find The Truth_ was waiting for him, in response to the one he'd sent.

_Because it is._

Ivan was somewhere between livid, annoyance, and panicking fear. Someone, whoever this _person_ was, knew information about him. Information he distinctly remembered _not_ giving them. _Who are you?_

As late as it was for most people, he still received a rather quick response. _Someone who knows about you. Don't worry, I'm awesome at keeping secrets._

Ivan sent each word an intense glare, his jaw clenching until his teeth were almost painfully pressing on each other. He should have known something like this would happen. He should have cut off contact as soon as he learned Alfred really was an alien. This kind of character, from what he knew of science fiction literature, always wanted to make a public announcement about the alien. Show him off to the world, 'expose' some kind of conspiracy theory. All while thinking they were doing good for humanity, or something along those lines. No matter who was behind _Find The Truth_ , Ivan wouldn't let them anywhere near Alfred.

It would be fine, though. It was impossible for this person to know about Alfred and, in the morning, Ivan would email Eduard about finding out who the blog belonged to. He'd figure out what to do from there, depending on who the person was. Possibly send them a threatening message, let them know two could play that game.

Ivan set his phone next to Alfred's glasses, deciding to ignore it for now, and adjusted himself to lay down. He still wasn't quite tired yet, not enough to sleep. He studied Alfred's peaceful face, counting each little freckle dotting his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. A thought flickered through Ivan's mind to kiss them, something feathery light for each one. Invisible marks. But that would be silly, and would probably end up waking him.

Instead, he picked up his book and began to read again.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a lot later than I was hoping it would be, sorry! Haha, Alfred always gets his way in the end, doesn't he?  
> Interactions with Natalia and Yekaterina will be better in the next chapters. I was just really not sure how to introduce them.
> 
> Thanks so much for the wonderful comments and kudos! :)


	11. New Years

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When people are speaking, Russian will be in italics

_He's in a clearing in a forest, and Alfred is far away, near the center. There's lights in the sky and the noises of loud humans coming from all directions. The lights get brighter, and Alfred turns to him, neon eyes glowing in the darkness. Tony, now something living, is standing next to him. The humans are getting closer, closer...they're too close to Alfred and panic starts to rise._

_He tries calling out for him to come closer, let him protect him, but Alfred won't listen. He looks back up at the sky, ignoring his efforts, and the lights are so bright and everything is so loud. Alfred is waiting, and he is letting him go because he knows he has to._

_There's people coming and they keep yelling, and they're running towards him._

_“Alfred!”_

_Alfred turns back to him. He wants to go home, and he wants stay with him, and he wants the infinity of space._

_A shadow figure approaches, himself first and then it spots Alfred and moves toward him. He tries to stop this thing, but he can't because it needs to be there. For some reason. The lights are right there now, and then a flash-_

_Alfred is gone, and he doesn't know where or if he's safe. He doesn't know who took him, if it was his people or the humans, or the shadow. He is alone now, and it is cold and silent. He tries to yell, to call for Alfred and-_

Ivan jerked awake with a shout caught in his throat. A cold sweat was on the back of his neck and his face pressed heavily into his pillow. A comforting weight pressed against his chest, and he knew it was Alfred. The familiar scent of his hair, the warmth, a rhythmic rise and fall. Sputnik was purring softly from behind his neck.

Ivan didn't remember the dream much. Bits and pieces. Alfred had disappeared, that was the main point.

The arm he had around Alfred tightened protectively, possessively, and he shut his eyes again. He knew he wouldn't fall asleep again now that he'd woken up. He didn't want to sleep, anyway. Just to lie awake in the feeling of having Alfred there with him, at least for as long as he could, and knowing with certainty that he was okay. On Earth, with him, and there was nothing to really worry about. Not for now.

* * *

Ivan was at his desk. Alfred was at work, though he would be getting off soon. Natalia and Yekaterina were getting ready to go out shopping. With the boys, of course, but Ivan had made himself presentable a while ago so he could attend to his current task, and they still had to pick up Alfred.

His birthday the day before had been nice, spent in the apartment, and calm. Ivan never made much of a fuss over his birthday, and so his sisters kept it as quiet and everyday as possible. Alfred asked why he hadn't been informed of Ivan's birth date, and Ivan told he didn't think it was that important. Alfred huffed at him and promised a present would be given in the near future. Yekaterina gave him another knitted blanket, and Natalia gave him a book about sending people to Mars.

It was New Years Eve now, and Eduard had just gotten back to Ivan with what he had found out about the _Find The Truth_ blogger, thankfully not asking too many questions. Ivan had simply told him the man had contacted with information he shouldn't have. Eduard had explained the situation to Toris, who was worried, and Ivan told him it was most likely nothing.

The blogger turned out to be Gilbert Beilschmidt, aged 24, and a programmer for a software company located in New York City. He had a little brother, Ludwig. He was born in Germany and both had moved the US for college, earning scholarships at rather prestigious schools. Beyond that, Eduard said everything was either hidden or encrypted. Gilbert had made his email, home address, and phone number impossible to trace back to any one location, and had also left them off of any social media accounts. He had made himself as obscure as possible, clearly not keen on letting anyone find out anything about himself, or where he was.

Figures.

Ivan wasn't sure whether it made him more suspicious, or less. Gilbert could just be the paranoid type. Or an undercover government agent.

“Vanya, we're ready!”

Kirkland Records was a small store, though well stocked. Framed vinyl records of The Clash, Sex Pistols, The Ramones, and various other artists lined the walls. Racks of cassette tapes were lined up close to the door, and most of the store was taken up by shelves of old records and CDs, stacked or in rows. There was also a shelf of books, biographies and autobiographies and informative books of various music related things. All haphazardly organized.

Francis was behind the counter, picking at his nails until he glanced up at Ivan and his sisters. He smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling, “you must be here for Alfred.”

Ivan nodded, walking up to him while his sisters departed to look around a little. Natalia had always had an interest in the jazz movement. “Where is he?”

“In the back. He said he was expecting you, so he should be out in a moment.”

Ivan nodded again, and let a somewhat awkward silence fall over them. He didn't have anything else to say to Francis, only being there for Alfred. Dark blue eyes scanned over Ivan, curious and intrigued. A smirk formed on Francis' face.

“Taking good care of our dear Alfred, I trust?”

Ivan's eyes flicked over to him. “Of course.”

Francis leaned against the counter with his hip, switching his gaze to Yekaterina and Natalia. “I take it those lovely ladies are your sisters?”

“Yes.” Ivan shot him a glare with a smile that told him to back off. If he was thinking anything inappropriate.

Francis frowned at him, crossing his arms over his chest. “I was wondering, how did you meet Alfred? With all of his...quirks, has he always been like that?”

“As far as I am aware. We met by chance.”

That seemed to be a good enough for Francis, as he hummed thoughtfully and glanced at the door to the back room. It swung open and Alfred appeared, followed by Arthur who was trying to make him zip up his coat.

“Ivan!” Alfred practically bounced up to him, grinning, and had to grab the front of Ivan's coat to stop himself from hugging him. “Hi.”

“Are you ready to go?” Ivan asked, giving a small smile.

“He needs to zip up, or else he'll catch his death. It's freezing out there,” Arthur said, crossing his arms over his chest.

Ivan agreed, it was cold out and Alfred didn't handle low temperatures well to begin with. He grabbed the ends of Alfred's coat and zipped it up, all the way to his chin.

Alfred huffed and pulled it back down to his collar. “I'll be fine, really,” he insisted.

“I will not have you catching a cold,” Ivan said.

Alfred tilted his head to the side, fiddling with the pull of his zipper. “What's a cold?”

Francis' brow raised and Arthur pinched the bridge of his nose. Ivan sighed and grabbed Alfred's sleeve. “Let's go. Thank you, Francis, Arthur, for looking after him.”

“Any time,” Francis said with an amused smile.

“Do stay warm out there,” Arthur said.

Ivan pulled him in the direction of his sisters and Alfred kept trying to ask, “Ivan. Ivan- what's a cold? Is it bad?”

“It is a common illness. There are many ways to catch it.”

Alfred's eyes went wide. “Common? So it's like an epidemic?”

“Nyet, Alfred- just look it up.”

Alfred began to fiddle with his glasses, quite determined to find the answer. Ivan moved his hand to hold onto the side of Alfred's coat and he guided him to where his sisters were looking through a box of classical composers.

“Alfred, how was work today?” Yekaterina asked when she looked up.

“Ivan and Arthur say I'm gonna catch a cold,” Alfred's eyes moved as though reading something and Ivan thought he probably shouldn't have told him to do that.

“Oh, why is that?” A worried look crossed her face and Natalia thoroughly ignored all of them, still picking through the records.

“It is nothing to worry about, Katya, he will be fine.” Ivan said.

Whatever Alfred read, he relaxed and dropped his hands to his sides. “Yeah, I'll be fine. It's a human disease.”

Natalia looked up at that and Ivan cleared his throat. “Shall we get on with the day now?”

The women wanted to go to the mall. It was rather crowded, with it being just after Christmas and the last day of the year. Ivan was uncomfortable with the amount of people and kept a hold on the cuff of Alfred's sleeve. He wasn't sure if it was more for his own comfort, or to actually keep Alfred from running off.

They were standing in the middle of the mall, Yekaterina was looking over a map. She wanted to go to a children's store to look at baby clothes, and was trying to figure out where it was and how to get there, since it was on the other side of the building.

Alfred was glancing around at everything, trying to take in his surroundings as fast as he could, and Ivan was watching him. He wondered how much of this was similar to his own planet, or if all of it was a completely new experience.

Ivan felt a tug on his opposite arm and found Natalia clinging to him. Alfred mimicked her, and Ivan wasn't really sure what to do with himself as they stared at each other. When Natalia tightened her grip, Alfred did as well.

“Vanya is my big brother,” Natalia stated. There was something in her voice that implied Ivan was something less important to Alfred.

A low, throaty rumbling came from Alfred as he held on even tighter, and Ivan blinked several times. Did he just _growl_ at Natalia? He hadn't been aware he _could_ growl. Ivan bumped him in the side with his elbow, sending him a disapproving look. While Natalia smirked as though she'd won something, Alfred pouted slightly and looked away.

“Enough, both of you,” Ivan said, glancing from one to the other, though he didn't think either were listening to him.

Alfred's attention was caught by something else and he remained transfixed. Ivan followed his gaze to a model train setup on a table, several feet away. It was laid over a fluffy white sheet, to act as snowy terrain. It passed tiny villages filled with tiny people, mountains, lakes, pine trees and animals. Reindeer, moose, rabbits, bears.

Alfred began shaking Ivan's sleeve, his building excitement visible. “Ivan. Ivan, I need to go look at something!”

Ivan couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm. “Alright, but-”

“Vanya, I've figured out where the children's store is,” Yekaterina cut in, the noise around them too loud for her have heard him.

“Oh-”

Alfred's hands slipped from away from Ivan's arm and he was gone. Ivan's nerves instantly stood on end. People moving around made it difficult to keep his eyes on him, especially with him walking away. “Alfred!”

“Where is he going?” Yekaterina asked.

“He is grown man, he will be fine,” Natalia said, and Ivan knew she would be all too happy to leave Alfred where he was. Neither of them understood how terribly worrying it was for Alfred to be out of eyesight, especially in such a crowded place.

“I have to find him,” Ivan's words came out rushed despite his attempts to appear calm.

He pushed past people, weaving towards the train setup. Through gaps between moving bodies, he saw Alfred bent slightly over the table, watching the model move along the tracks. Something else caught his attention and after Ivan paused to let a family of five walk by, Alfred was gone. Ivan froze right next to table, glancing around as fast as he could to spot him. Where could he have gone?

“ _Vanya, what's wrong? He can be on his own, can't he?_ ” Yekaterina asked as she came up to stand next to him.

“Nyet!” Ivan practically growled, and she shrank back. “ _He- that idiot cannot-_ ” He stopped himself before he said something he'd later regret.

“ _Vanya, please,_ ” Yekaterina rested a hand on his shoulder, “ _we will find him._ ”

They had certainly better. Ivan went for the closest store and glanced around. It was relatively small, and he couldn't see Alfred.

“ _If he wants to run off, let him,_ ” Natalia said from somewhere behind him. He was starting to get a bit irritated with her attitude towards Alfred, and kept reminding himself that she didn't really know the full situation.

Alfred liked small spaces, places he could squeeze into and hide, which meant looking for him had to be thorough. Remembering that, and thinking Alfred had seen something worth hiding from, made Ivan's pulse beat faster. Then again, he also hid from ghosts, so he didn't want to get himself too worked up.

When he didn't find Alfred in that store, he went to the next one, his sisters following behind. It was mostly full of clothing racks, some lined against the walls. Ivan pushed through them, trying to see if Alfred was hiding in one. He didn't know what he'd do if he couldn't find him.

In the far back corner, he pushed a row of long dresses aside and there, curled up on the floor, was Alfred. He had his knees to his chest and his back firmly against the wall, his eyes wide.

Ivan sucked in a breath and let it out slowly. A mixture of relief and anger welled up. Relief that he'd found him, and anger that he'd run off. “What-”

“They're here, Ivan,” A hand shot out and grabbed Ivan's pant leg, tugging to make him kneel down.

They? Ivan did as Alfred wanted and was now face to face with him, “who?”

“Those people, from when we were in the park and they were trying to get me.” Alfred kept his voice low and urgent.

“Here...” It had been long enough, Ivan had thought they'd stopped looking. “Are you sure?”

Alfred nodded, his eyes shifting to somewhere behind Ivan. He glanced over his shoulder and saw them, standing near the entrance of the store, acting the kind of casual that was almost painfully obvious. What were they _doing_ there? How long had they been following them? He needed to get Alfred somewhere, make them lose track. Did they know he was the alien, or was it something else?

“Vanya, is everything alright?” Yekaterina asked from behind him.

Ivan looked up at her, “Yes, everything is fine.”

“ _Is it really?_ ” Natalia asked.

“Yes.”

Alfred was grabbing Ivan's sleeve, picking at the fabric. “What're we gonna do?”

It would have been easier -less suspicious- if Alfred had just gone back to him when he saw them. While the agents weren't looking, Ivan pulled Alfred to his feet.

“What is going on?” Yekaterina asked.

“Nothing,” Ivan smiled at her, though he was sure she didn't believe it.

“What if they follow us?” Alfred asked.

“Who?” Natalia asked, eyes narrowed.

“Nothing. Nothing is happening, everything is fine,” Ivan insisted. He held Alfred's wrist as he tugged him towards the front of the store. As long as they acted like normal humans, the agents would have no reason to suspect them of anything.

It took quite a bit of weaving through the crowds to properly dislodge the FBI agents from view. They kept themselves far enough behind, and moved slow enough, clearly trying not to be suspicious. It didn't seem like they were aware they had been spotted, either. Yekaterina and Natalia kept demanding to know what was going on, what Alfred had meant, and why they were walking so fast. Ivan tried to subside them with partial answers, that Alfred was different and often said things like that, and to just go along with it.

Once on the other side of the mall and the FBI agents were out of sight, they stopped in the children's store.

“Vanya, what was that all about?” Yekaterina asked, frowning at him.

“ _Brother, why were we being followed?_ ” Natalia asked, sounding more annoyed than concerned.

Panic flashed across Yekaterina's face, “ _what? We were?_ ”

They needed to go home soon, and he didn't want to lie to them. “ _I do not know, it was probably nothing. They are gone now, though. Everything is fine._ ” Technically, it wasn't a lie. Sort of. He didn't know why they were being followed by the FBI agents, aside from something to do with aliens. Probably. He really couldn't be sure, at this point.

“It has something to do with him, doesn't it?” Natalia pointedly looked right at Alfred, and it was then that Ivan noticed how tight the grip Alfred had on his arm was.

“Leave it alone, Natalia, it was nothing. Only...weird people, probably,” he said. The look she gave him said she didn't believe him, but did as he asked anyway.

Yekaterina nibbled on her bottom lip, “you think really it was nothing?”

Ivan gave her shoulder a gentle pat, “yes, it was nothing to worry about.” For them. He was still on edge, and likely would be until he was they left.

Yekaterina nodded and, wanting to return things to normal, suggested, “there's some cute baby dresses, let's go look at those.”

While they did that, Ivan kept thinking about FBI agents and what they could possibly be there for. Something to do with them, obviously, though he didn't know if it was Alfred or himself. He ran a hand over a pocket of his jeans, where his phone was. It wouldn't have been Beilschmidt. Would it? Ivan hadn't heard from him since his birthday. They just had to keep acting like normal humans, with nothing weird going on. Just a nice family outing. Plus Alfred. Who was not an alien, as far as anyone else was concerned.

“Alfred, what is popular for American children?” Yekaterina asked.

“Oh, um...” Alfred used one hand to press at his glasses, smiling awkwardly. “Superheroes? D-...Disney. A lot of Disney. Especially for girls.”

She hummed at that, examining a Cinderella dress. “Dmitri and I were thinking of going with a nature theme for the nursery. Lots of flowers and cute animals.”

“There's Bambi,” Alfred suggested, “and Snow White.”

“Ghosts are a part of nature,” Natalia said, and she and Alfred stared at each other.

Yekaterina cleared her throat, “Vanya, what do you think?”

“Natalia, be nice to Alfred.”

“That's not what I- oh, never mind.” Yekaterina shook her head at her siblings.

* * *

Ivan had agreed to let Yekaterina help prepare dinner with him. Pasta, with side of salad. While Yekaterina watched over the boiling noodles, she kept glancing at her little brother. He was stirring a small metal bowl of tomato sauce, adding seasonings and spices.

“ _Vanya, I'd like to ask you something._ ”

“ _Yes?_ ”

Yekaterina's brow knit with concern. “ _How old is Alfred?_ ”

Ivan swallowed, already knowing where this was going. “ _N-...nineteen._ ”

“ _That's...he's younger than Natalia._ ”

Ivan almost winced. There was some kind of unspoken rule about that. About people younger than younger siblings. “ _I have already told you, we are not together. In that way. He just lives here._ ”

“ _I know, but...it just seems odd for you to have someone his age living here. He is ten years younger than you._ ”

“ _Nine years and seven months,_ ” Ivan corrected. Alfred had recently calculated that, had he been born on Earth, he would have been born sometime in early July. He chose the Fourth as his Earth birthday because, as he reasoned, fireworks. Those seven months -less than ten years- were very important to Ivan. He wasn't sure why, just that they were.

“ _Alright,_ ” Yekaterina said slowly, “ _Still...how did he come to live here?_ ”

Ivan sighed and tried to focus on stirring, adding a pinch of garlic and some salt, “ _I promise you, it is nothing...it is a bit strange, I know, but- I found him on the street, and I- I took him in..._ ” Ivan hesitated, his eyes wandering as he tried to come up with something that resembled 'normal.'

“ _Took him in_ ,” Yekaterina repeated slowly, “ _off the street._ ”

“ _Yes,_ ” Ivan nodded, more to himself than his sister, “ _he needed a home, so..._ ”

“ _He's not a stray cat, Ivan, he's a person. Where is his family?_ ”

“ _He doesn't have one._ ” On Earth, anyway.

“ _Still, you cannot just keep him, he is barely grown up,_ ” Yekaterina insisted.

Ivan's brow scrunched, “ _You make it sound as though I am holding him hostage._ ”

“ _No, no, I don't mean it like that. Just...he should be living in a university dorm, or in his own apartment with a friend. One closer to his own age._ ”

Ivan shook his head. She didn't understand. He couldn't give Alfred up, or send him somewhere else. Ivan knew he couldn't tell her the whole truth, but he could bend it a little. Besides, Alfred was just as much an adult as Ivan was, according to his own planet's society. “ _He can't, Katya. I take care of him._ ”

“ _He said that to Natalia. What does that mean?_ ”

“ _You saw it yourself, he is strange. He...is not someone who can be on his own. He needs me._ ”

“ _He needs you, or do you need him?_ ”

That was not a question Ivan had been expecting, nor one he wanted to answer. Still, he would be honest. “ _...Both._ ”

Yekaterina gave him a sympathetic look and stirred the noodles around. “ _I know you are lonely, brother, but really...have you tried at all to find where he belongs?_ ”

“ _Of course I have. There was no one looking for him._ ” Well, that was more of an assumption. He had no idea if Matthew was looking, or if his space crew was. Or if they had assumed him dead and given up. He was a part Ivan's home, that was where he belonged now, so long as he wanted to stay there.

“ _Are you sure you can handle a responsibility like this?_ ” Yekaterina asked, “ _taking care of someone, especially someone who- well, who you say needs looking after, it is a big thing to take on._ ”

“ _And I am handling it just fine,_ ” Ivan said firmly. And, really, what did she expect him to do? He couldn't just throw Alfred back out on the street. He supposed, if he really had to give him up, there was Arthur and Francis. But Alfred was _his_ to take care of, Alfred had found _him_ when he needed protection, and Ivan was not about to send him away. He shuddered, thinking of what could have happened had Alfred met someone worse. He was attractive, young, and far too trusting. It would have been so easy for him to find himself in a terrible situation.

Yekaterina nibbled her bottom lip, “ _if you really say so. But, Vanya..._ ”

Ivan glanced over at her. “ _What?_ ”

“ _You like him, don't you._ ” She said, and it was not a question. Ivan stared at her with wide eyes. He knew she thought so, but for her to have actually put the words in open air. “ _The way you are with him, always holding onto him, letting him sleep in your bed-_ ” Ivan's mouth opened to protest, or at least defend himself, but the words caught in his throat. “- _and I know he has been, don't lie._ ” She sighed, shaking her head, “ _I hope you know what you are doing with that boy._ ”

Ivan remained silent for few seconds longer. “ _I wouldn't...that would- I am handling everything just fine._ ” He turned his focus on the pasta sauce, stirring rapidly even though it was done now, and switched to preparing the salad.

He couldn't have _feelings_ for Alfred. Not the squishy kind that made you all touchy and warm inside. He trusted Ivan, to keep him safe and cared for, and a romance with him would be irresponsible. It would be taking advantage of him. Ivan provided for him, and Alfred could barely survive on Earth without him. It would only complicate things further to...to pursue something like that. Ivan shouldn't even let himself think of such things.

“The noodles are ready,” Yekaterina said. “I'll fix the salad, you go tell them dinner is prepared.”

Ivan nodded and headed off to the living room, where Alfred and Natalia were watching some show about museum artifacts. He passed them, pretending to go look at something on his desk, and instead peeked out the window. He had seen the FBI agents following him twice after losing them in the mall, though he was fairly sure he was the only one to notice. Earlier, they had been sitting in a car across the street. He still couldn't think of what they wanted from him, other than it having something to do with Beilschmidt. It couldn't have been too serious, if they hadn't bothered to speak to him or even stay the whole night. As long as they were gone now, and Alfred was safe...

Ivan lingered by the window, a hand resting over his pocket, where his phone was. He contemplated sending a message, asking Beilschmidt if he was having him followed. That would sound weird if it turned out he had nothing to do with it, or possibly cause problems if he did. It was best to leave it alone for now, Ivan decided, until someone else made the first move.

He went over to the couch, “Natalia, Alfred, it is time for dinner.”

“ _It is stressful for you to keep him here,_ ” Natalia said without looking away from the screen. She must have been eavesdropping on his and Yekaterina's conversation.

“ _We will not be discussing that_ ,” Ivan said. He glanced at Alfred, who had turned his face toward Ivan but seemed to be reading something his glasses were showing him. “Time for dinner.”

Afterwards, Ivan insisted on his sisters relaxing while he and Alfred cleaned up, sending them to the living room. They were watching the big ball drop in Times Square, on TV. It was only a few minutes until midnight. Ivan washed the dishes, while Alfred dried and put them away.

Alfred smiled at him, and there was something sad in it. “Congratulations.” Ivan stared at him for a moment, confused by what he meant. “It's a big deal for humans, right? Earth completing another orbit around the sun, and you celebrate on New Year with lots of parties. I like that. We don't really do that on my planet. The astronomers do, but most people don't.”

“Oh. Yes, I suppose it is.” Humans really did make a big deal of the event, all over the world. The way Alfred worded it, he made it sound...strange. “How do the astronomers celebrate on your planet?”

“At the Space Agency, we would watch the sun set, and then we'd tell stories of the past year until midnight.” He smiled brightly up at Ivan, “what's your favorite memory from the past year?”

Ivan hummed, thinking it over, though he already knew his answer. One late night at a bus stop. He softly smiled back at Alfred, handing him a plate to dry, “finding you.”

Alfred stared at him, “really?”

“Yes,” Ivan watched him, the water running and a pile of forks in his hand. Alfred seemed unusually serious about this, and his eyes started that burning kind of glow again. After a moment of silence, Ivan said, “Alfred?”

Alfred blinked and his eyes returned to their normal neon blue. His smile was lopsided, “crashing sucked, but I'm really glad we met, too.”

“Big brother, come watch the countdown with us!”

“Ah-” Ivan glanced at Natalia, and then Alfred, and turned the water off. He seemed...fine, now. “ _Just a moment,_ ” he called to his sisters, and then lowered his voice to Alfred, “what was that?”

“What was what?” Alfred asked, tilting his head to the side, apparently clueless.

Did he not realize it was happening? “With...your eyes, they were. Glowing.”

Alfred made a face at him, “they always glow, Ivan, you know that.”

“No, this-” Ivan stopped and studied Alfred's eyes. He sighed and shook his head, “we will discuss it later.”

Alfred raised an eyebrow at him, “if you really want to.”

Ivan nodded. They finished cleaning the kitchen and joined his sisters in the living room just as the countdown started from ten.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, later than I was hoping :/ sorry. I've been in kind of a weird head space because of some anxiety issues, so...and I've been working some other stuff that I'd like to post at some point.  
> Anyway, hopefully I'll start coming out with chapters faster soon. I think I have a better idea of where I'm going with this.


	12. Talk To People

It wasn't until the next night that Ivan managed to get enough alone time with Alfred to ask about his eyes. It was late, Yekaterina had gone to bed after she started crying because of a commercial for an animal shelter, and Natalia followed at the request of a back rub. Alfred was dressed in Ivan's black pajama pants and an old Roscosmos t-shirt Ivan didn't remember giving him. Somehow, after the initial ghost scare, he'd ended up sleeping in Ivan's room every night. There hadn't been any kind of discussion on it, it just sort of...happened.

Ivan sat down on the bed, watching Alfred attempt to play some kind of peek-a-boo game with the blanket, with a decidedly uninterested Sputnik. She was resting on a pillow, blinking slowly at him.

“Alfred.”

“Yeah?” Alfred sat up like an excited puppy, scooting up close to him.

“Tell me about your eyes.”

Alfred raised an eyebrow, smiling lopsided, “well...” He grabbed the blanket and tossed it over both of their heads, casting them in a dim light. “They glow. You can only really see it in the dark, though. I thought you knew all this?”

Ivan raised a hand to run his thumb under one of Alfred's eyes, studying their neon blue color and the faint glow under the blanket. “That is not what I am asking, Alfred. It is a different kind of glowing. I can see it in the light, almost like they're burning. What is that?”

Alfred bit his lips, casting his eyes down as a light blush crept across his cheeks. Ivan hadn't been expecting a reaction like that. Alfred glanced up at him several times, always returning them to the sheets bunched around his knees. “Do you like my eyes?”

Ivan didn't see what that had to do with his question. “Yes.” He hadn't seen anything like them before. They were what had first drawn him to Alfred.

Alfred's shy smile grew, he glanced up one more time. “I like your eyes, too.”

Ivan felt his own face heating somewhat. “You are getting off topic.”

Alfred flopped over, letting himself be covered by the blanket and leaving Ivan's hair a mess. Ivan laid down to crawl back under with him, laying on his side so they were face to face. Alfred almost seemed...embarrassed, which was not something Ivan thought he'd ever seen from him before. It was cute, if a bit distracting from what he was trying to talk about.

“Alfred.”

“Hmm?” Alfred hummed.

“Tell me.”

Alfred's face slowly fell into a frown. “Ivan,” he wiggled closer, grabbing at the front of Ivan's shirt. “I'm gonna be here for a really long time...aren't I?”

“It seems that way. I don't see how you would be able to get off of Earth.” He was getting off topic again. Almost like he didn't want to tell him.

“Me neither. I've thought about a lot, and I just...I can't figure out a way. Not without my ship.” Alfred moved even closer, until his nose was brushing Ivan's shoulder. “Is it still okay if I stay with you?”

“Of course.” Ivan thought that should have been obvious.

“Even if I'm stressful?”

“What-? You're not, Alfred, who told you that?”

“No one,” Alfred hid his face in Ivan's shoulder. “What if you meet another human and you really like them, and want to live with them instead?”

Ivan hadn't thought about that, not since Alfred showed up. Before, he would sometimes daydream about meeting someone to be with, to live life with. Alfred took up most of the space in his head now. If he was going to stay on Earth, it would be okay for them to stay together, wouldn't it? It would make sense. Eventually, Alfred would settle down there and they could just...live. Like a strange little family, the two of them and Sputnik. Ivan didn't see himself wanting that with just anyone. Besides, if he planned on a life with another human, he'd have to tell them about Alfred at some point. And they would have to be okay with him. And not...turn him in to the government.

“I don't think that will happen,” he answered.

“Why not?” Alfred asked.

Because Ivan had him. But that would be embarrassing to say. “I just don't think it will. Does this have anything at all to do with your eyes?”

“Maybe,” Alfred mumbled. Ivan didn't see how they could be connected.

“You need to tell me, Alfred.”

“Why?”

“I need to know if you are getting sick again.” Ivan held himself personally responsible for Alfred's health.

“I'm not.”

“Tell me what it means.”

“Nope,” Alfred smiled up at him mischievously.

“Tell me.” Ivan smirked back, slowly raising a hand to Alfred's side.

“Mm-mm,” Alfred shook his head.

“Tell me.” Alfred burst into fits of giggles as Ivan mercilessly wriggled fingers into his ribs. “Tell me.” Alfred tried to roll away and Ivan caught him, pinning him against his chest as he kept tickling. “Tell me and I will stop.”

“No~!” Alfred laughed, squirming as he tried to escape.

Even Ivan had started to laugh a little, just watching Alfred under his hands. After a moment, he slowly ceased his attack, “I need to know, Alfred. Are you alright?”

“I'm fine, I'm fine,” Alfred giggled into Ivan's chest as he calmed down.

“Then tell me”

“Mm...” Alfred slipped an arm around Ivan's waist, picking at the fabric of his shirt. “Fine. It's like...a bonding thing? Normally, both of our eyes would be glowing like that, but since you're human, it's...it's just me.”

Ivan propped himself up on an elbow to look down at him, “you can control it?”

“No. I mean, sort of but not really. It's weird to explain. Basically, it means I've been with you for a while now, and I think will be for a even longer period of time. If that's okay with you.” Alfred was blushing again, as though this were something immensely personal. Maybe it was for him.

“Of course, I have already said as much.”

A big, goofy smile stretched across Alfred's face and he purred, hugging Ivan tight.

“I still don't fully understand this.”

“I told you, we're both supposed to be doing it, but you can't. And it's kind throwing me off. That's why, sometimes, it happens when you're not around.”

“But it is still directed at me?”

“Yeah. 'Cause I was thinking about you. Normally it would only be if we were together.”

How often did Alfred think about Ivan? It still wasn't entirely making sense. “What is the purpose, though? What kind of bond is it creating?”

“I can...feel you, kind of. What you feel. Like, I know you're stressed 'cause I can feel it, too.” Alfred huffed, “it's hard to explain. It would be better if...if Mattie could tell you.”

Ivan wasn't sure how he felt about that. It sounded so ...well, alien. As long as he wasn't sick...And Alfred could feel what he was feeling. It must have its uses on Alfred's planet, but what good would it be on Earth? They were different species, so it must not even be working properly.

Ivan ran a hand through Alfred's hair to get his attention, “I know. Stay on topic.” No need to make himself sad by thinking about his brother.

Alfred wiggled backwards a little, pushing on Ivan's side, “lay down, I wanna try something.”

“Alright.” Ivan did as asked, resting on his side and facing him. The blanket was still over them, leaving them in their own little bubble.

Alfred moved his arm to place a hand on the side of Ivan's face, “just stare at my eyes and concentrate on us.”

Ivan wasn't sure what he expected. He didn't have much to go on. His eyes locked with Alfred's and nothing happened for several seconds, neither speaking and the only sound being Sputnik's soft purring. He watched neon blue slowly start to burn and tried to only focus on that, on himself and Alfred. He wasn't sure when their faces became so close, he could feel Alfred's breath on his skin. Ivan had always interrupted him before, thinking something was wrong. What would happen once this, whatever it was, ran its course?

Alfred pressed closer and slowly breathed out through his mouth just as Ivan breathed in through his nose. It made his throat and lungs tingle pleasantly. They repeated the process several times, of breathing in each other's breaths, until Ivan felt a strong sense of belonging. To Alfred, and with him. And that Alfred also belonged to and with Ivan. It was simple, intense, and unlike anything he had ever felt before. Ivan sat up abruptly, throwing the blanket off.

“Ivan?” Alfred sat next to him.

“What was that?”

Alfred paused before answering. “We call it bonding. Thought I said that already...I've never done it like that before. Wasn't even sure it would work.” He winced, “probably should have asked first. Please don't be upset with me...”

“I'm not.” Ivan kept his eyes on the floorboards, their texture and the way they all lined up neatly. It was almost weird to see another color after staring at Alfred's eyes for so long. It felt like it had lasted an hour, at least, but when Ivan looked at the clock only a few minutes had past.

He felt Alfred grabbing at the back of his shirt, pressing his cheek between his shoulder blades. “I'm gonna be here for a really long time, m-maybe even forever...and I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't stay with you.”

Going back to what life was like before Alfred...Ivan's only priorities were work and Sputnik. He had been fine with it before, enjoyed it even. He wasn't good with people. Human people. Now, it seemed impossible to return to. Too quiet and hollow. Ivan enjoyed Sputnik's company, obvious, but Alfred...Alfred was different. They could have conversations, and a relationship. Even if it was a platonic one. Or something else.

He wanted to keep Alfred, and Alfred basically said he could. Ivan turned to him, “you have nothing to worry about. This is your home.” His stomach felt fluttery when Alfred smiled brightly and nuzzled his shoulder. He yawned widely, eyes scrunching closed. Ivan shifted around again, gathering the rumpled blanket, “time for aliens to go to bed.”

* * *

Ivan still didn't entirely understand Alfred's 'bonding' thing, but he was fairly certain he was starting to. He had been thinking about it since Alfred explained it to him. While Alfred was at work, he found himself missing the alien. Which was silly, he'd be back soon enough. It wore off quickly, though, probably because they hadn't finished the...process? Ivan wondered what the full affects would be, between two people of Alfred's species. It seemed very intimate, in a way. Maybe that was the point.

It was the last day Ivan's sisters would be visiting. While Alfred was at work, they decided to spend some time with just the three of them. They sat at the kitchen table that morning, Natalia and Yekaterina with tea and Ivan with coffee. They were planning to exchange Christmas gifts once Alfred got home. And Ivan hadn't seen any FBI agents around again, which was a relief. Whatever they were looking for, whether it had to do with him or Alfred, they must have given up on it for now. He really didn't see any reason they would be suspicious of them.

“Ivan,” Natalia said. She sat straight as a pin, her tea held in both hands. It wasn't often she called him simply by his name.

“Yes, Natalia?” Ivan said carefully.

“What is Alfred?”

Ivan blinked, his mouth opening slightly. Yekaterina shifted in her seat and cleared her throat. “We're concerned about you, Ivan. You...haven't seemed like yourself. We have nothing against Alfred, it's just...he is new in your life, so we can only assume it has something to do with him.”

Ivan glanced from one to the other. Had he really been that strange? He thought he'd been acting normal. What was he supposed to tell them? He doubted they'd believe the truth, even if he did tell them.

“If it's really that stressful for you to be taking care of him-”

“It's not him,” Ivan interrupted Yekaterina. He glanced at the tabletop, tracing a line the wood's texture. “Not- _he_ isn't the stressful part.” If it was just Alfred, with no governments or anything to worry about. Just them living like normal people. It would be great.

Yekaterina placed her hands over one of Ivan's and he found it odd how much larger his were. “Then what is it, Vanya?”

He shook his head, staring at their hands. “I can't tell you.”

“Why?” Natalia asked.

“I just can't. You...you wouldn't understand.”

Natalia narrowed her eyes at him. “What is it about him that you refuse to tell us?”

“It is not about-” Well, it was, actually. He couldn't tell them that Alfred was an alien from some far off planet, crashed and stranded on Earth, or that there had been government agents following them. “Please, just trust me when I say I cannot tell you.”

“You trust us, don't you?” Yekaterina asked. Ivan hated the way she sounded so unsure of the answer she would get.

“Of course I do.”

“At least tell us if everything is alright. Honestly. You know you can come to us for anything. Whatever you need, both of you.”

“I know, I know,” Ivan said, giving her a small smile. “Everything is fine, really.”

“Bullshit,” Natalia said, “tell us the truth.”

“Natalia, please,” Yekaterina scolded softly.

“You would not understand. I- you wouldn't even believe me.” Ivan said. As nice -relieving- as it would feel to tell someone, he didn't think he could.

Yekaterina looked over at him as though he'd said something surprising. “Why wouldn't we believe you?”

“Is something about Alfred, yes?” Natalia said.

Ivan firmly stared the tabletop. How was he supposed to answer that without lying? He hated lying to his sisters, and would avoid it if he could. “Alfred...is not from here.”

“From...where?” Yekaterina asked, “from New York? Or is he Canadian?”

“No.” Ivan shook his head. “He-”

The front door swung open. “Ivan! Have you been outside? It's snowing again, and it's even colder than it was yesterday, and Arthur said to bundle up 'cause we might get a snowstorm.” Alfred locked the door behind himself, set his backpack aside, and shrugged off his coat. When he noticed three sets of eyes staring at him, he paused and smiled awkwardly. “Hi.”

“Where are you from?” Natalia asked.

Alfred's smile fell a little, “Ivan...”

Ivan sighed and ran his hands through his hair, “it is fine, Alfred.” They weren't going to leave it alone until he told them, anyway. They might just think Alfred was delusional, like Ivan originally did.

Alfred padded over to the table and sat down next to Ivan. “You said not to before.”

“I know. But, now I am allowing it. They would really like to know.”

Alfred smiled at them again, “I'm an alien. From another planet. I crashed here, and then Arthur gave me a job, then Ivan found me and we these people keep trying to get me. I'd rather not be an experiment, though, so Ivan hides me from them.”

Both of the women stared at Alfred, Natalia blankly and Yekaterina as though she wasn't sure if he was joking or not. Ivan leaned on his elbows and rested his chin against his hands. There. They knew now. It was up to them to decide whether they believed it or not.

“V-Vanya...” Yekaterina slowly turned her head toward Ivan, keeping her eyes on Alfred.

“It is true.” Ivan said, though he wasn't sure how to prove it in the daylight. He glanced at the window when the glass rattled, snow falling heavily and wind howling. Maybe it really would storm. He absently wondered if it would affect their flight the tomorrow morning.

Natalia tilted her head to the side, “you being here is too dangerous for big brother.”

Ivan snapped his attention to Alfred. Alfred frowned and pulled his knees up to his chest, curling up the chair, his eyes cast down.

Ivan glared at his little sister. “ _Enough. Why can't you be nice to him?_ ”

Natalia's eyes widened slightly, surprised by the harsh tone from him. She huffed and glared back, “ _him being here is stressful to you, and now he says it is also dangerous. Why would I not have a problem with this?_ ”

“ _Because it is my choice,_ ” Ivan said firmly, “ _I want him here. You should be happy that I-_ ” Ivan stopped and looked away.

“ _Please do not fight, it is our last day here,_ ” Yeakterina said. She glanced between Ivan and Alfred, “is...I don't understand. How can he be- I mean...”

“I'm an spaceflight engineer. I took one of our podships on a test flight and got kinda lost. I ended up in the Milky Way and then something knocked me into Earth's gravitational pull,” Alfred leaned against Ivan's side, “I lived in the park until Ivan found me.”

The room fell uncomfortably silent. Natalia seemed to readily believe such an explanation, while Yekaterina kept looking to Ivan for a more plausible explanation. He wasn't sure what to do now that they knew, and was almost relieved when his phone started ringing. When he saw that it was Toris, he excused himself to his bedroom to answer it.

“Hello?” Ivan answered, closing the door until it was only open by a sliver.

“Ah-” he could hear papers shuffling, “Ivan. Hi, how are you?”

“Fine, and yourself?”

“Fine, fine. A bit busy, I suppose. So, um, I wanted to talk to you about something. There's a library in New York City-” Ivan winced, already knowing where this was going. “-they're doing a sort of, um, winter book event for college students and, since most of your books take place during winter and are fairly popular with that demographic, they were wondering if you would go down there. Especially since you just published your new one, I think it would be a good idea.”

New York City? That was where Beilschmidt lived, though he still hadn't heard anything from him since his birthday. Ivan glanced at the door. “How long would I be there?”

“Well...” Ivan heard Toris flip through something, probably his planner. “A few days? At the most. Two or three should be it.”

Ivan would be leaving right after his sisters did. He couldn't leave Alfred home alone for that long. He didn't even like leaving him alone at all. Maybe he could bring Alfred with him. Would Arthur let him take two or three days off? He doubted there was much of a chance of running into Beilschmidt, with how large New York City was.

“Is that alright?” Toris asked.

“Ah, it- it should be. When is this?”

“You'd be leaving on the ninth, the event takes place on the tenth. You could either leave that night, or the next day. I'd be paying for hotel expenses, of course.”

“That should be fine.” The nice thing about Toris was that he always offered to pay for the hotel room. If he didn't, Ivan wouldn't be able to go on these book event things. “And I, um. I will be bringing a friend with me. One room will still be fine.”

“Oh, a-alright.” Ivan wondered if he should be offended by how surprised Toris sounded. “Okay, that's fine. One room with...two beds?”

“Just one.”

“Oh. So. You are bringing...a boyfriend?”

“N- yes, sure. A boyfriend.” Alfred would probably find a way into his bed even if there were two, with how necessary he claimed cuddling was. And there wasn't really any other way to explain why Ivan would be sharing a bed with another man, not one that didn't sound weird.

“That's so nice,” he could hear Toris smiling. “I'll make the arrangements then.”

“Thank you. Goodbye.” Ivan hung up and glanced down at Alfred. His boyfriend. It made his chest feel light to call him that. No. _Those_ things weren't allowed. He couldn't-

The door creaked open and Alfred peeked in. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes, it's fine, Alfred,” Ivan smiled at him reassuringly.

Alfred stepped in, closing the door behind himself, and hugged Ivan tight. “I don't think your older sister believes us.”

“That's alright, she doesn't need to.” Ivan hugged him back and Alfred purred. Something in his core felt lighter, less alone, now that someone else knew, regardless if they chose to believe the story. And holding Alfred was nice. But they should probably get back to Ivan's sisters.

Or they could just come into his room, since the door was opening. Again. Yekaterina and Natalia shuffled in.

“Big brother, hug me too!” Natalia latched her arms around Ivan's middle. Alfred gave her a disgruntled look and tightened his arms around Ivan's neck.

Ivan looked pleadingly at Yekaterina, who only smiled at him. She had a small stack of neatly wrapped presents in her hands. “You said you wanted to wait Alfred until got home.”

“Right. Both of you, off.”

They sat on Ivan's bed to open presents. The snow storm had started, wind beating the window and snow swirling through the air until it was almost impossible to see anything else. Alfred deemed far too cold and Ivan bundled him up in a blanket, situated against his chest for extra warmth. It was fine now that they knew, right? They knew Alfred was a weird little alien, and that their...relationship...was weird. It was fine. Alfred needed to be kept warm.

Yekaterina was sitting next to him, opposite from Natalia, “ _it is just what he believes, isn't it? Some kind of...imagined world. That is why he needs someone to take care of him._ ”

He paused to wonder for a minute of what she referring to, and then he remembered how he'd left their earlier conversation. “ _If that is what you want to think_.”

Her face pinched, lips pressed tight and brow bent in, but she said nothing else on the matter. Ivan wondered if she and Natalia had discussed it while he was on the phone.

Natalia pressed up against Ivan's other side, and Alfred snuggled back against his chest, both of them sending each other defiant stares. Yekaterina was giggling at all three of them.

Ivan leaned forward as best he could, sliding one of the presents into Alfred's lap. It was awkwardly wrapped, the soft material making it difficult. “This is for you.”

“Ooh~” Alfred's face lit up as he began tearing the paper off, revealing an alien plush almost identical to Tony. As close as Ivan could find. It had the same shaped body and big black eyes, but it was green instead of gray. Alfred hugged it and snuggled back into Ivan with a long purr, a big dopey grin on his face, “thank you! I love it.”

“I'm glad,” Ivan smiled down at him, trying ignore the fact that his sisters were sitting on either side of him, watching. And they heard Alfred's purr for the first time, though they weren't saying anything about it.

“Brother, open my present next!” Natalia said.

* * *

By the next morning, the storm had ended and the women were off on their flight home. Alfred had been very excited to visit the airport, though Ivan had to keep reminding him to call them airplanes, and not in-atmosphere ships. Yekaterina had started crying as they said their goodbyes, Natalia was rather clingy with Ivan, and he and Alfred wished them a safe and pleasant flight.

When they returned to the apartment and Ivan locked the door behind them, the place seemed quieter. It always did when guests left, but this time was different. He wasn't alone in the quiet, with his cat. There was Alfred and all of his little noises.

Alfred shimmied out of his coat and set it aside, “we gotta get ready for our trip!”

“Yes, we do,” Ivan had told him about it on the car ride home. Before it got too late the night before, he had called Arthur and confirmed that it was alright for Alfred to miss a day, already having two of the three off.

In the bedroom, Ivan had gathered Alfred's clothes and instructed him to fold them and put them in his backpack. Tony was still in there, but that was fine. Alfred sat on the bed, packing, while Ivan pulled his own clothes out of his closet and put them in a small suitcase. Alfred haphazardly folded his clothes and stuffed them into his backpack.

“Ivan- Ivan,” Alfred said, clearly excited as Ivan watched him wiggle in his spot on the bed. He had a notebook in his hands, “there's somewhere I wanna go. It's not in New York City, but we can stop there on the way. Or the way back, whichever.”

Ivan furrowed his brow. “And where would that be?” He hoped it wasn't something too far off course.

“This place,” Alfred held up his notebook, displaying a page with a headline and sketches. _Pine Bush – UFO capitol of New York_. A sign for a restaurant called the _Cup and Saucer_ , complete with a little flying saucer graphic, was drawn off to the side. A small portion of a map, the lower east side of New York state, was drawn to show where the town was. It wouldn't be too far out of the way, but...why would Alfred want to go there? He'd confirmed that he didn't know how to get home.

“Why, exactly?” Ivan knew Alfred had an interest in Earth's ideas about extraterrestrials, though he didn't see why this was a necessary destination. Wasn't researching the place enough?

“It's the UFO capitol of New York, Ivan,” Alfred stated, and Ivan couldn't help a small giggle at just how serious he sounded about this. He made it seem like a matter of great importance. Alfred frowned at him, lowering his notebook. “Ivan...”

Ivan dropped the smile he still had and cleared his throat, resuming folding a shirt to pack, “I apologize, I was not trying to make fun of you. Why exactly do you feel the need to go here, though?”

Alfred picked at the spiraled spine of the notebook, looking down at his lap, “I just think it would be fun. Get to know Earth a little better. And human ideas of aliens. With you.”

Ivan smiled softly at him. If he was really set on this...“I suppose it won't hurt to make a quick stop there.”

Alfred instantly perked up, grinning, “really?” Ivan nodded, smiling softly back at him, and then Alfred was on sitting his knees on the bed, hugging Ivan around the neck, “thank you!”

Ivan wrapped his arms around him as Alfred pressed his ear over his heart. He wasn't sure what they would find in Pine Bush, but it might make for an interesting memory.

Boyfriend. Ivan pulled Alfred away to continue packing. That's what he'd had to tell Toris, because it made the most sense. He wasn't sure he should let himself call Alfred that, under any circumstance.

“Is something wrong?” Alfred asked, head tilted to the side.

“No, just thinking.” Ivan folded a pair of jeans to pack.

A meow rolled out of Sputnik as she jumped up onto the bed. She purred, rubbing against Alfred's knee, and mewed.

“Sputnik wants to know if she's going to be staying with Yao again, while we're gone,” Alfred said, scratching underneath her chin.

Ivan stared at him for a moment, then at Sputnik. It was so strange to him that Alfred could understand her. Possibly the strangest thing about Alfred. Ivan nodded slowly, “she will.”

“Who's Yao?” Alfred asked.

“Our neighbor downstairs, the one that is always yelling at his brother over the phone.”

“Oh~ that guy.”

“Go get the things in the bathroom packed. We need to finish if we're going to leave on time.”

“Okay!” Alfred hopped off the bed, and Ivan watched him bounce out of the room, his red cape swaying behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like this is kind of filler but also not? And guess who's making an actual appearance next chapter! I've been waiting so long to get to the point where Gilbert and Ivan meet, I'm kind of excited to finally write it.
> 
> Also, would you readers like to know more about Alfred's home planet? I know I haven't really described it that much. At all, really. Mostly because I haven't entirely decided on what it's like yet, but I can if you want.


	13. Don't Trust The Professional

The drive to New York City, from where Ivan lived in Albany, was around two hours. It had been an uneventful drive, they left late in the afternoon and Alfred slept through most of it, curled up with a pillow and his new alien. Their hotel room was nice, decorated in deep red and cream colors, the lighting warm and inviting. There was a queen sized bed, a nightstand on each side, a small bathroom, a TV sitting on a dresser, and an empty mini fridge next to it along with a trashcan.

Ivan had decided that they would drive through Pine Bush on their way back home, allowing them to not be crunched for time while they were there.

“Ivan.” His nose was poked and his cheek prodded. “Ivan...Ivan, wake up.” He was awake, he just wanted to see what Alfred would do. Currently, the alien was pressed against Ivan's shoulder as they laid in bed, early morning sun filtering in through sheer curtains.

“Wake up~” Alfred sang softly, poking Ivan's nose and pressing on the very tip. “We have to be at the library place in an two hours.” Alfred wiggled, pushing Ivan onto his back and shimmied himself on top of him. “Wake up, big guy.”

When Ivan peeked one eye open, Alfred was resting his chin on his chest, neon blues staring at him with a small smile. They darted over to the window, watching specks of dust dance in the sunlight. Ivan had almost thought Alfred's alien plush was Sputnik, but then remembered that she wasn't with them. It was also green.

He rolled abruptly, trapping Alfred in his arms and sandwiching him halfway between himself and the mattress. “We can sleep for little bit longer.”

“No~” Alfred tried to squirm out of his hold and slip away, but Ivan caught him and held him firmly in place. “We gotta get ready. We need to bathe and dress and eat and teeth and hair-”

“And sleep.”

Alfred huffed at him, trying and failing once again to get up. “What're you gonna do at this event, anyway?”

“Mostly, it will be college students asking questions about having a writing career, and I am going to answer them.”

“Have you ever written a story about aliens?”

“Nyet.”

“...Do you _like_ aliens?”

“Mm...I like this one,” Ivan tickled him lightly and Alfred squeaked, burying his face in the pillow. “Do you like humans?”

“Yeah. I mean, you're kind weird, but you're cool.”

“Hm,” Ivan sighed. Alfred was right, though. They really should get up soon. He reluctantly sat up, pushing the thick blanket away. He looked down at Alfred, who was still laying, dressed in only boxers and a t-shirt. Ivan's eyes involuntarily trailed up from his knees, finding something very nice about the way his body curved. Ivan felt his cheeks warm at such an inappropriate thought and quickly shook it from his head. A small drop of guilt settled in his stomach, and he left it there as he got out of bed.

Time to get ready.

After Ivan showered, he let Alfred into the bathroom so they could brush their teeth and comb their hair. They both dressed in warm clothes, Ivan making sure Alfred was bundled up enough for the walk to the library.

Snow fell gently in powdery puffs. Alfred gazed around at everything, the lights and noises and people, and particularly a hot dog stand. His head turned at the slightest distraction, fascinated by everything around them. Ivan held his hand to make sure he didn't try to run off, though he seemed to be following without any protest. A half a block away was their destination, an older looking building with concrete stairs leading up to large glass doors.

Inside the building was warm and welcoming, the lights bright yet soft, and large wooden bookcases spaced out evenly with tables and chairs in between. The ceiling was high, and a wide staircase sat at the center, leading up to the second floor. A sign by the railing told them that the college book event would be taking place up there, in a reading area. Ivan led Alfred up, thinking over what to do with him while they were there.

Ivan doubted he'd be able to get Alfred to sit still for the whole event. It was two hours long. He _supposed_ , so long as Alfred didn't leave the library, it would be fine for him to roam around. How much trouble could he get into in a library? He did like to study, and there was a section for alien and science books, so he'd probably find something to read and curl up somewhere. Possibly under a table. Ivan would just have to find him afterwards.

They stopped at the top of the stairs. Ivan could see the table he was supposed to sit at near a back corner, other writers and various people standing around to get things set up.

Ivan grabbed Alfred's chin to make him look at him, “you may look around, but _do not_ leave the library. Understood?”

“Yeah.”

“And no talking to strangers.”

“I know that one.”

“If someone tells you they know me, they are lying.”

“Okay.”

“Also, do not go anywhere with anyone. No matter what they tell you. You are to wait for me, in the library, until this over.”

“Got it!”

Ivan nodded once, firmly, sure he'd given adequate instructions for keeping Alfred safe. He was already feeling anxious about letting him roam the library by himself, off to places out of his eyesight. He did not want some creep luring him away somewhere, or worse. Not that that was likely to happen in a library.

Ivan found himself grabbing Alfred's hand again. “If you need anything, or feel threatened by anyone, just come back to me. Alright? I won't be upset if you interrupt.”

“Okay,” Alfred said, smiling, “but one thing.”

“What?”

“Can I have a hug?”

Ivan smiled softly at him, “very well.”

After a short hug, Ivan made sure Alfred knew exactly where he would be and then watched him wander off down the rows of shelves. A moment later, Ivan turned on his heel and headed over to the table marked for the event.

Ivan didn't particularly care for these things. Signings and other writer's events. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate the people who read his work, he absolutely did, it was just so... _awkward_. Spending a few hours one-on-one with stranger after stranger. People asking so many questions, one of the other. He would just smile on autopilot, answer with whatever came to mind first, and sign whatever was handed to him. Two hours and he and Alfred could go back to the hotel.

And neither noticed the man with red eyes watching them from the bottom of the steps.

Alfred glanced around, reading section markers on the ends of bookshelves and signs hanging from the ceiling. _Bathrooms this way_ and _Front desk that way_ . He knew there had to be a section for books about aliens and alien theories and other space related topics. But where to find them? He stopped in front of a row marked _Romance_ and stared at the word. That was when people kissed and did...other more intimate things. Alfred had dated before, back when he was on his own planet. Men, women, a people of various other genders. That aspect was never much of a concern for him when choosing a partner.

He thought of Ivan then, and a warm knot twisted in his belly. Ivan was nice. And quite handsome, if Alfred could say so. He could his eyes, the intensity of simply... _wanting_.

“Hey,” a tap on his shoulder had him snapping around to face whoever, the feeling gone in place of a distraction.

Alfred smiled, brow knitting slightly as he wondered hat this human could possibly want with him. Ivan said not to talk to strangers. This one was weird, though. He had the palest skin Alfred had ever seen, even paler than Ivan, and white hair. Red eyes. A rectangular bag hung off him, the strap resting across his chest, and a blocky green figure dangled from one end. He had a coffee in hand and a striped shirt poked out from under his coat.

“Uh...didn't mean to startle you,” the man said, voice laced with an accent Alfred hadn't heard before. “You need help? You look lost.”

Alfred's brow rose, his lips pressing together. Ivan said not to talk to strangers. “I'm Alfred.”

The man blinked, mild confusion flashing across his face. “Um. Okay. Name's Gilbert. Nice to meet you, Alfred.”

Asking for help was fine, wasn't it? “I'm looking for books about aliens.”

Something strange raced across Gilbert's red eyes. “Ah, alright. I'll show you, just follow me. They're downstairs, with all the witchcraft and astrology books.”

“Thanks,” Alfred smiled happily and followed him. He glanced over to where Ivan was before they started down. He was currently sitting at table with two other people, a journalist and a screenwriter, and talking with them.

“So, you're interested in aliens, huh?” Gilbert said.

“Yeah,” Alfred turned his attention back to him.

“Any particular reason?” They reached the bottom and turned a corner.

“I'm- hmm,” Alfred caught himself. Ivan said it was a very bad idea to tell people he was an alien.

Gilbert glanced back at him, “you're what?”

“Just curious,” Alfred finished quickly.

Gilbert smirked. “Pretty interested in aliens, myself. Awesome stuff to read about.”

“Mm-hm,” Alfred nodded.

“You hear about that one race that's supposedly reincarnated as souls on Earth, and they look _just_ like humans?”

“Wait, what?” Alfred asked, eyes locking onto the side of Gilbert's face. If this was true, why didn't he know about it? What if he had to protect the Earth? Like Superman, but he didn't have a sidekick. Maybe Ivan could be his sidekick and they'd-

“Yeah, they're called Pleidians, and they're supposed to look like really beautiful versions of humans,” Gilbert said.

Alfred had never heard of these Pleidians before. He'd have to do some research. “Do you believe that...idea?”

“I don't know. Kinda too...metaphysical, I guess?” Gilbert shrugged one shoulder and sipped his coffee. “It's a weird theory, with a shit ton of different dimensions that these guys -girls? They usually identify as female- exist in, and all this other really spiritual stuff. Supposedly, they've been breeding and embodying humans for _decades_ , and want to bring peace to planet or some shit like that.”

Oh. Well, then, bringing peace was fine. As long as that was what they were really doing there. Though, Alfred had never heard of this species before. This Gilbert person was very insightful. “Have you ever met one?”

“What?” Gilbert laughed, “No, 'course not.”

“Oh,” Alfred said. A small part of him had hope that, maybe, he could find other aliens on Earth. Maybe they would know how to get off the planet. Or they could at least be friends in the same situation.

“Well, here we are,” Gilbert stopped in front of a long bookshelf. The contents were mixed with spell books and horoscopes, and similar works.

“Thanks,” Alfred chirped. He expected Gilbert to leave then, now that he'd accomplished what he said he would. Instead, he lingered, sipping his coffee with one hand and the other loosely tucked into a pocket of his jeans. Alfred casted him sidelong glances, wondering if maybe he was looking for alien books, too. That would explain why he was still there. But then, if he knew where they were, why was he upstairs?

“So,” Gilbert started after a third sip. He licked his lips, brow furrowed in thought. “I saw you talking to that Braginsky guy, the author. You a friend of his?”

“Oh, um...yeah. Are you?” If they claimed to know Ivan, they were lying.

“Nah, not really, I just read a book of his once,” Gilbert shrugged one shoulder, running a finger over the spine of books he didn't actually seem interested in. “He a nice guy?”

“Yeah, he's really nice,” Alfred said, smiling, “he's upstairs if you want to talk to him.”

Gilbert only shrugged again. He grabbed a book off the shelf and waggled it at Alfred's face, “I recommend this one. It's pretty interesting.”

Alfred snatched it from him, examining the cover. It was about the different species that had supposedly visited Earth. “Thanks, I'll take a look at it.”

“You know, if you're gonna be here a while, we could go through it together. Always more fun to discuss this shit with someone, you know?”

Alfred looked up at him and adjusted his glasses. Not supposed to talk to strangers. Did Gilbert still count? “Sure.”

Gilbert smirked at him, “I know a place we can chill.”

He led Alfred to a secluded area near the far back, in a small room full of books people could take, ones the library didn't want to carry anymore. There were two cushy armchairs, pressed into a corner of the room. Gilbert watched in confusion as Alfred crawled under the table, making himself comfy on the floor instead of taking a seat. He glanced over his shoulder, wondering why that happened, before following. He carefully situated himself into a spot across from Alfred, less than a foot away from each other, and set his bag in the space between the chairs. They had to lay on their bellies to fit comfortably.

“Why are we under here? We're supposed to sit in the chairs,” Gilbert said.

“This is cozier.” Alfred had the book on the floor and flipped it open. “Oh, look it's the Jay Alien.”

Gilbert's brow furrowed, “the who?”

Alfred glanced him and then read the title of the page. “I meant J-Rod.”

“Mm. So...what does Ivan the Horror Author think about aliens?”

Alfred smiled softly, eyes still on the book, “he likes m- them.”

“Hey,” Gilbert scooted closer until their heads were inches apart and Alfred looked up at him, “do you think he's ever seen one?”

Alfred stared for a moment. “Why would you ask that?” It seemed very random.

“No reason,” Gilbert shook his head, “just wondering. I uh, I mean, he's your friend and you're interested in aliens. Is that something you have in common?”

Alfred's brow furrowed. “You're asking a lot of questions about Ivan.”

Gilbert tilted back for a moment before pressing forward again, “I've talked to him before, so I do kinda know him. It'd be nice to get to know him better.”

“Then you should go talk to him. He's upstairs.”

“Yeah, but I'm talking to you. How do you know him, anyway?”

“I'm...his roommate.”

Gilbert's eyes narrowed a fraction, barely enough to notice. “Are you.”

Alfred nodded. He was growing uncomfortable with how close they were sitting and squirmed back until his feet bumped the wall. It didn't do much to ease anything.

“Look, kid, I'm no threat, alright? Consider me a friend.”

“Friend,” Alfred mumbled. Should he?

“Yeah. I'm- I'm something of a professional on alien theories.”

“Oh!” Alfred's eyes lit up. Gilbert distinctly noticed the change in light, the shadows of the table making Alfred's eyes noticeable.

He smirked, “if you tell me what I wanna know, I'll tell you whatever you wanna know.”

Alfred thought it over. What if he asked things Alfred wasn't supposed to tell anyone? Then again, Gilbert was a professional on these things. What would Ivan say? Alfred narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing, “how do I know you're telling the truth?”

Gilbert paused for a moment. How to prove such a thing. “Guess you're just gonna have to trust me.”

“Do you have proof of your...profession?” Alfred asked.

“What, like as a ufologist?”

Alfred pressed the buttons on his glasses to look up the word. “Yeah.”

“Well, it's not really...no, not on me.”

Alfred looked him over, studying him. Gilbert seemed harmless enough. “What do you wanna know?”

~0~

Ivan scribbled his signature in a book that had been handed to him. They had finished with the questions portion of the event, and were wrapping things up. He hadn't seen or heard from Alfred in the whole two hours, and tried to not let it bother him. Alfred was fine, he was sure. Although, admittedly, he did wish Alfred had at least wandered by at some point. Just so Ivan could see that he was alright.

When the last college student left, Ivan was able to pack up and leave. Not that he'd really brought anything with him. He said his goodbyes to the people running the event and to the other writers, and took off to find Alfred.

Locating the UFO and alien books was easy enough. But Alfred wasn't there. Ivan walked around the library at an casual pace, hands in his coat pockets, searching for him. Ivan was sure Alfred wouldn't have left the library without him. A big, unfamiliar city. He was smart enough to know how easy it would be to get lost.

Ivan searched the perimeter of the building, peeking under tables and around every corner, up and downstairs, the restrooms. He was starting to worry. Alfred was nowhere in sight. Was this going to happen every time he took the alien out in public?

“Alfred,” Ivan called, keeping his voice low enough for a library. “Alfred.”

_Where was he?_

“ _Alfred_ ,” Ivan tried again, a little louder and harsher.

He spotted a room for old books near the back, tucked away in a corner. He hadn't searched there yet and went for it. It was the last place to look. If Alfred wasn't in there, he'd have to panic.

“Alfred,” Ivan said, again louder, once he entered the room.

“Ivan!” A golden head popped out from under the table, neon blue eyes and a sharp nose peeking up at him. Alfred was smiling, happy to see him as always. “I made a friend.”

Ivan frowned at that. “You what?” That was when he noticed the second body lying under the table, right in front of Alfred.

Another face peered out, pale and the kind of white hair and pink-red eyes that only came with albinism. “'Sup?”

What where they doing under there? Did that man bring Alfred in there to be secluded? “Alfred, come over here.”

“Okay.” Alfred wiggled out and got to his feet, book in hand. He padded over to Ivan just as the other man crawled out and stood, sliding a black laptop bag out with him.

Ivan slid his hand to rest on Alfred's lower back, keeping his eyes on the albino. “What do you mean you made a friend?”

Alfred thumbed the pages of the book he was holding. “His name's Gilbert. He's a ufologist.”

Ivan's mind skidded to a stop, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end. Gilbert. Gilbert Beilschmidt. Programmer. Trouble maker. Hacker.

Alien blogger.

“No, he's not. We need to go.” Ivan wrapped his arm around Alfred's waist and attempted to pull him out of the room, away from Gilbert.

“What?” Alfred asked, glancing up at Ivan and then over at Gilbert.

“What, not even gonna say goodbye, Ivan? That's so not awesome,” Gilbert said, a seemingly perpetual smirk on his lips.

“Goodbye,” Ivan said bluntly and continued for the door.

Alfred stopped them, still glancing between Ivan and Gilbert. “What do you mean? He said he was a professional in alien studies.”

“He lied, Alfred,” Ivan said bluntly. “He is a computer programmer and a hacker. Aliens are his...hobby.”

The look of hurt that came across Alfred's face made Ivan just that much more upset. How dare Gilbert corner him like that!

Gilbert laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “So what I don't have a fucking degree in it. I know my shit, alright?”

“I have to put the book back...” Alfred mumbled.

Ivan nodded stiffly, “fine, hurry.”

He stayed by the door to the room while Alfred jogged away. He could feel Gilbert come up to stand by his side.

“Why did-”

Ivan turned quickly, hand shooting out to grab Gilbert's jaw and effectively silencing him. Startled wide eyes stared at glaring violet. “If you go near him again, I will _crush you_.”

Something flashed across Gilbert's face, first fear and then a look of recognition that said _found it_. Ivan wanted to throw something at him. Preferably a brick. “ _He's_ the alien.”

Shit. Ivan had assumed he'd already figured that out. He roughly shoved Gilbert away. “No.”

“He is. He so is, holy fucking shit,” Gilbert grinned, practically giddy with the information. Ivan steeled himself as Gilbert took a step closer, “I wondered why- how the fuck-...I mean, where- holy shit.” He laughed, as though having a hard time comprehending that this was all real. “I saw his eyes, man. They're so awesome. I thought maybe they were contacts or something, or the light bouncing around, but holy shit, they're real. _He's_ real.” He covered his mouth with a hand, the other hovering over his stomach.

Ivan eyed him, unsure of how to handle him. How to make him _go away_. There was no way he'd leave if he thought -knew- Alfred was an alien. “Go away. Leave us alone.”

Gilbert shook his head, the spark never leaving his eyes. “No way, do you know how awesome this is? There's no way I can just-”

“There is, and you will. I won't let you near him. And after finding out you lied, I highly doubt he will let you either.” Ivan's glare seemed to have little to no affect on Gilbert.

Gilbert promptly ignored the bit about him lying. “I could help. You wanna hide him, right? That's why you were messaging me. I can help you.”

Ivan scoffed. “How could a nuisance like you help anyone?”

“Pfft, figured a writer of all people would get a clue on that one.” Gilbert composed himself, standing straight and mostly serious. “You need me.”

“Enlighten me as to how,” Ivan said, already thinking the answer would be less than convincing.

“I'm an awesome hacker. Does he have an identity? I can get him one.” Alfred _did_ still need that. “I can cover your tracks if you ever need it. You gotta take him somewhere? It's like you never even went. Or I can make it look like you were in two places at once.”

The second part might be useful if things ever became...more dangerous. Maybe he could make Gilbert set up an ID for Alfred and then ditch him. Ivan was still thinking it over when Alfred returned to his side. He stared into neon blue eyes. What would be safer for Alfred? Working with Gilbert to get him an ID, or leaving the man behind and going without? If they went with Gilbert, they'd have to get to work right away, since they were leaving in the morning. Toris had set it up so they'd be checked out of the hotel by then. And then there was the matter of the FBI a few days ago...Ivan didn't _think_ Gilbert had anything to do with that. It was still a possibility that needed to be considered.

“We're going back to the hotel now, right?” Alfred asked.

Ivan grabbed Alfred's hand and held it tight, eying Gilbert. “How do I know we can trust you?”

“Ivan, he lied,” Alfred whispered, leaning close and not at all quiet.

“Jesus, you're both really on that, aren't you?” Gilbert sighed. “I don't know how to prove that to you-”

“We were being followed by the FBI several days ago,” Ivan interrupted.

Gilbert's eyes went wide. “Shit, seriously?” Ivan nodded and Gilbert scrubbed a hand over his face. “Alright...alright, shit. Have you seen them again?”

“Not so far.”

“Let me help you, I'm the best you're gonna find.” Gilbert was dead serious now and Ivan studied him for a moment. He seemed genuinely surprised to hear about that.

Ivan's grip on Alfred tightened. He still didn't trust Gilbert, but if it was for Alfred's sake...“Would you be alright with that, Alfred? If he helped us get an identity for you.”

“Can he actually do that?” Alfred asked.

“He can.”

“I totally can. It's awesome how much I can. And I actually do have a degree for the programming part.”

Alfred leaned into Ivan shoulder, “mm...fine, but you have to promise no more lies!”

After Gilbert swore to be honest for then on, they agreed on going to his apartment. Ivan threatened him one last time, to make sure he did his job and did it well. And again when Gilbert tried to touch Alfred's face, wanting to get a better look at him. Ivan didn't like that. Face touching was so _personal_ and Gilbert was so...Gilbert.

They walked, the hustle and bustle of NYC too loud and disconnected for anyone to really pay attention to them. Ivan was told that Gilbert had been asking about him, at first, trying to figure out why a horror author was interested in aliens. Especially when he wasn't anywhere in the science fiction genre. Now, Gilbert kept asking Alfred about how he ended up Earth, what he was doing with Ivan, and what being in space was like.

“Do you have any idea how to get home?” Gilbert asked, fascinated by Alfred's every word.

Alfred's face pinched and he shook his head, lips pressed together in a thin line. “No. I've tried figuring out different ways, and I can't...I thought about building something, like a ship, but then someone would probably notice.”

“Yeah, not really practical. Considering all of that, and after being here so long, do you still _want_ to go home?”

Alfred blinked and glanced at Ivan. He was still holding his hand. “Yeah. Of course. If I can.”

Ivan's hand tightened around his. "Just get us to your apartment, Gilbert."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was doing research and read that you can actually get a degree in UFO and alien life studies, to be a ufologist. Not many schools offer it, but it is out there.
> 
> Thanks for all the comments and kudos! :)


	14. Alien Technology

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does it count as underage drinking if he's an alien?

Gilbert's apartment was a decent size, just big enough for two people. There was a connected kitchen and living area, a small bathroom, and two bedrooms at the back. It was immaculately clean, and sparsely decorated, not a single speck of dust in sight. Ivan wondered how Gilbert found the time to keep it that way, or maybe if his brother did. Or they were both like that. Most of the room was in grays, white, and black. Ivan glanced over a bookcase, seeing if there was anything of interest or use, but nearly all of it was in German. And there were a lot of user manuals.

“Home sweet home!” Gilbert splayed his arms out as Ivan and Alfred followed him inside. He shut and locked the door behind them. “Luddy's at work, so don't worry about him. I don't know about you guys, but I'm ready for lunch.”

“That would be nice, thank you,” Ivan said.

“Yeah, I'm hungry!” Alfred said.

Gilbert led them into the kitchen and went to the pantry. Ivan and Alfred took a seat on barstools at the island counter.

“How's mac-and-cheese sound?” Gilbert asked, grabbing a box.

“I've never had it before,” Alfred said.

Gilbert whipped around, a stunned look on his face, “what have you been _feeding_ him?”

Ivan shot him an annoyed glare. “Healthy food.”

“Psh, this is totally...okay, fine, it's not. But it's good, so there. And I always add sausage to it. If you don't like it, you can suck my five meters.” Gilbert pulled a pot out from a cupboard and filled it with water, then set it on the stove.

“What five meters?” Alfred asked, brow furrowed in confusion. Ivan tried to ignore both of them.

Instead of answering, Gilbert turned on the burner and dumped the noodles into the pot. He sat on a stool across from Alfred and smirked, studying his face. “Shit. I still can't believe you're here. This is so awesome. What planet are you from?”

“Apollonia,” Alfred answered, “in the Galiea galaxy.”

“How did you get here?”

Alfred explained. Their first interstellar mission, venturing to other galaxies. The repair he'd had to make on a podship, attempting a test drive. Going too far, getting lost. Crashing on Earth.

“I didn't think I was gonna survive, but I did,” Alfred said, “then I met Arthur and Francis. They bandaged me up and gave me a job.”

“And after that was when you met Ivan.”

“Yeah.” Alfred smiled at Ivan, a tiny purr escaping his throat.

“What the fuck,” Gilbert laughed, “that was so cute, what was that?”

“It's just a noise we make when we're happy,” Alfred said. Ivan didn't like the faint blush that appeared on his cheeks. He didn't like that _Gilbert_ put it there.

“Shouldn't you be working on his identification?” Ivan asked.

“Yeah, yeah, we'll get to that,” Gilbert said quickly. “I just- god, there's so many questions. What's your planet like? It's gotta be more advanced than Earth.”

“Our societies are much older, so yeah, kinda. What do you wanna know exactly?” Alfred asked.

“Everything,” Gilbert said.

Alfred made a face at him. He didn't know where to start.

“What's it look like there?” Gilbert offered, “like, landscapes, cities, and all that shit.”

Alfred remembered back to the last time he'd been on his planet. At the Space Center, getting ready for takeoff, along with Matthew and the rest of their crew. “The area that I lived in was really big, and half above the equator, half below. The north was all mountains and pretty cold, and the south was all beaches and really warm. There was a lot of sand everywhere, too. The cities were nice. Most people live in apartment type buildings, unless they have a really big family. There's a lot of greenery, too, between buildings and the rails. Those are what people get around on, mostly. They're kinda like your old trolley cars.”

“Bet your pollution problem isn't as bad as ours,” Gilbert said.

Alfred shrugged, “not anymore. It used to be, and then we learned to take better care of the planet.”

“Hey, what's up with you speaking English?” Gilbert asked.

“I...learned?” Alfred said.

“Yeah, but like- what's your language sound like?”

Ivan turned his full attention to Alfred. That was something he'd thought about himself and was interested to hear. Alfred thought for a moment of what to say. When he started making noises, it was...somewhat similar to his purrs. His lips and tongue moved, the pitch raised and lowered and he made a few clicking sounds. His sentence was short and when he finished, he smiled at Ivan and Gilbert.

“That was awesome,” Gilbert said with a grin.

“What did you say?” Ivan asked.

“I told Gilbert the water is about to boil over.”

“Oh, shit,” Gilbert turned and hurried to lower the heat, stirring the noodles around. Once they were soft enough, he drained the water, added the packet of cheese sauce, and got out three bowls and forks. He set one in front of each of them.

Ivan took up his fork and moved around the yellow coated noodles. He'd had boxed mac-and-cheese before, mostly during his college years as a quick lunch before class.

“This is so good!” Alfred's eyes lit up as he ate a second mouthful. Ivan smiled at his enthusiasm. At least he was enjoying himself.

“How long must we stay here for you to create an identity for him?” Ivan asked.

“First of all,” Gilbert said around his food and then swallowed, “I'm not actually making a whole new identity. We're stealing one-” the look Ivan gave him sent a chill down his spine. “Not like _that_ , it'll be from a dead guy, alright? It's the easiest way to do it. And I'll need to take Alfred's picture, so I can get an ID card and a passport made. As for bank accounts and a cellphone and shit like that, it'll probably be best if he does everything under your name.”

Ivan hadn't thought to do it like that. He didn't even know he _could_ do that. It would mean he technically had control over those accounts, though he'd let Alfred do as pleased. It would also make them easier to close should...he ever need to.

“I can help set everything up, if you need it,” Gilbert said.

Ivan glanced at him and then nodded, “that would good, thank you.”

After they finished their lunch, Gilbert strung up a white sheet for Alfred to stand in front of and opened the window curtains. Natural lighting would make it look more convincing, he'd explained. Alfred stood still and smiled as Gilbert took his picture.

First step, done.

“How do you plan on getting a fake passport and ID for him?” Ivan asked.

Gilbert waved him off, “I got a guy, don't worry about it.” Ivan wasn't sure how far he wanted to trust someone who 'had a guy' for those kinds of things. Even if it _was_ helpful.

After that, they went to Gilbert's room, where his laptop was set up, and started researching old obituaries. “What does the F stand for, anyway?”

“Freedom,” Alfred answered proudly.

Gilbert glanced at him and then continued searching through lists of names. “Uh...we're gonna have to go with...Foster.” Alfred pouted, he liked his middle name. Gilbert hacked into several courthouse databases and started a search to find anyone with that name.

Ivan and Alfred sat on the bed while Gilbert worked at his desk. Even his room was impeccably clean. Gilbert must have been some sort of neat-freak. Everything was categorized, organized, and stowed away in very specific spots. It was a little unnerving, if Ivan had to be honest. He had expected someone like Gilbert be...sloppier, messier. The more he thought about it, the more the word 'perfectionist' seemed to fit.

After several minutes of pale hands flying across a keyboard, Gilbert spun his chair around to face them, letting the search continue on its own. “That's as much as we can do for now. He'll need his ID for the bank account, and that probably won't be in for another week. I'll contact my friend and have him mail the files to your apartment.”

“Thank you,” Ivan said with a nod, “really, I- this is much appreciated.”

Gilbert nodded in turn, “I know.”

“One more thing,” Alfred said. He grabbed his backpack off the floor. Ivan was so used to seeing him with it that he'd barely noticed. He brought it up onto the bed and unzipped the main compartment. When he turned it upside down, Tony and all of its pieces fell out onto the mattress, along with the green alien. Alfred picked up the green one, hugging it, “Can you fix this?”

Ivan tensed. He didn't want that thing fixed. It was dangerous, like a beacon leading right to them.

Gilbert wheeled himself closer. His eyes widened as they roamed over the gray fabric, the broken wires and boxes. “Holy shit. Is this technology from your planet?”

“Yeah, it's my Friend. Can you look at it?”

Gilbert's eyes sparkled with awe, “not shit, I can look at it! This is so awesome.” His hands hovered for a moment, unsure of where to start. “What does that mean, that it's your friend?”

Alfred explained about his species needing physical contact. Friends were designed to help to an extent, and to help them locate each other if they were to become lost.

Gilbert arranged everything on his bed with Alfred's help, figuring which pieces went together. He narrowed his eyes and then glanced at Alfred's green alien. “Is that a Friend, too?”

“No, this is something Ivan got for me to replace Tony. I've named this one Mr. Whale.”

“Weird,” Gilbert mumbled. He eyed Tony and then Mr. Whale. “Two planets that have never heard of each other, and yet they have this same kind of alien design.”

“We called him the Jay Alien on Apollonia. He's been spotted across several galaxies, and there's a lot of myth behind him. No one really knows where he's from, though.”

Gilbert smirked, “that's so awesome. He was supposedly here once, held in Area 51 -this air force bunker in Nevada- and they named him J-Rod.”

Alfred hummed thoughtfully. Ivan watched them, leaning into Alfred's personal space. “Are you sure we should fix this? It almost led the military right to you.”

Gilbert's eyebrow nearly disappeared behind his hair, “you serious?” He rubbed the back of his neck, looking over Tony again. “Why don't you leave it here? That way, if anyone shows up, they'll be led here and I can just say I found it somewhere. They won't have any proof of otherwise.”

“Yes, let's leave it here,” Ivan agreed.

Alfred pouted, “but Mattie might come to get me.” Ivan frowned at him empathetically. He was still holding onto that?

“Who?” Gilbert asked.

“My brother.”

“Hm. You don't have to worry about that. If anything happens, I'll let you know.” Gilbert scooted even closer, leaning to properly see everything. His amazement was written all over his face.

“That means we will have to keep in contact,” Ivan said. He wasn't sure if that would be a good thing, or not.

Gilbert shrugged without looking at him, “where you really planning on not? I'm in on this now, I'm gonna bug the hell out of you about it.” Ivan grit his teeth, shifting closer to Alfred, and refrained from responding.

Gilbert was eager to start working on it. He had always _dreamed_ of getting the chance to mess with alien technology. And now it was here. He convinced Ivan to stick around for a while, so he could ask Alfred about things- the device, space, aliens. He wheeled his chair around to grab a book off his desk, and then returned to the bed.

“Earth has so many theories about alien life. I always wondered how much of it might be true,” Gilbert said, flipping through the pages. He held up a page depicting mantis looking creatures. “Do these exist?”

Alfred's brow furrowed. “Um...I mean, they might. But I've never seen them before.”

They went on like that for a while, Gilbert showing Alfred pictures of various species. Most were likely to not exist, or were probably drawn wrong if they did. When encountering a new species, Alfred explained, people often got the appearance a little off when describing them. It was always a big event on his planet, when a new society made contact. The only actual photographs were of the supposed J-Rod, though one was proven to be a prop for a TV show.

Gilbert kept sipping on his beer, then tipped it toward Alfred and asked, “you wanna try? It's the good stuff. Imported straight from Berlin.”

Before Alfred could answer, Ivan pushed it away, “you are not giving him that.”

Gilbert rolled his eyes, “beer is awesome, what's the worst that's gonna happen?”

“You are not giving him alcohol.”

“I think it should be up to Alfred.”

Alfred leaned and sniffed at the opening. “It smells funny.”

“Then you should not drink it,” Ivan said. “Do not drink things that smell funny.”

“Don't listen to him. It tastes better than it smells.”

“You are nineteen. Is illegal here.”

Gilbert scoffed, “who actually follows that? When I was in college, people under twenty-one drank all the time.”

“ _Lovely_ example you are setting,” Ivan deadpanned. “It is still illegal.”

“Who's gonna find out?” Gilbert asked, raising his shoulders, “you gonna call the cops on an alien for underage drinking?”

Ivan stared at him for a moment. Alfred could commit murder and Ivan probably still wouldn't call the cops on him. He started giggling at how ridiculous their argument was.

Gilbert handed Alfred the bottle and he took a sip. Ivan watched carefully, the idea still not sitting well with him. How would Alfred react to alcohol? After choking it down, Alfred handed it back with a sour face. “I don't like that.”

Gilbert gasped exaggeratedly, clutching his chest. “How can you not like beer? It's so awesome.”

“It's not,” Alfred shook his head, eying the bottle suspiciously.

Gilbert snickered at the face he was making, “well, can't all be as awesome as me, I guess.” He took a drink and tipped the bottle toward Alfred, “and hey, you know you're special when a German man lets you drink his beer.”

Alfred smiled and said, “thanks, but you can keep it.” Gilbert laughed at him.

The next book Gilbert insisted on going through was about UFO sightings. They went through it the same way as the other one, Ivan watching and listening over Alfred's shoulder. Some of them he recognized in shape, but couldn't say for sure where they were from or who they belonged to. Saucer and triangle shaped spacecrafts were popular, Alfred explaining something about them using the least amount of energy.

Every so often, Gilbert checked his laptop to check the progress of things. He was looking specifically for people named Alfred Foster Jones, so Alfred could keep his name. The less false information he had to memorize, the safer and easier things would be. A long list of names had come up.

“You're lucky there's a lot of dead guys named Alfred F. Jones,” Gilbert mumbled.

“How are you going to pick one?” Ivan asked.

“Well...I guess it doesn't _really_ matter, but it'll be less work if I can find one that lived in New York. That way I don't have to go through relocating everything. Let's see...New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Arizona. Ah-ha! Lived and died in New York.” Gilbert erased the death certificate, and would later email the birth certificate to his friend for replication. “That should be it, until the documents get in.”

“Thank you,” Ivan said again.

“Not a problem,” Gilbert said. “So, uh...you guys heading out, now that that's done, or you gonna hang around for a while?”

Ivan could see the hopefulness in his eyes. He really wanted them -Alfred, specifically- to stay for a little. Alfred smiled up at him questioningly, asking the same thing. They didn't _have_ to leave until tomorrow morning. “I suppose...if Alfred would like, we may 'hang out' for a while.”

“Yeah,” Alfred grinned.

“Awesome! So, about this Tony thing-”

Ivan sat back and watched while Alfred helped Gilbert figure out the Friend. They seemed to get along well, even if Gilbert was a little annoying.

“How long do you think it'll take to fix it?” Alfred asked.

“I don't know, I've never seen anything like this before.” Gilbert opened one of the black boxes, the plastic-like material cracked and a wire poking out. “What happened to it, anyway?”

Alfred looked over at Ivan accusingly. “Someone broke it.”

Ivan faked a cough and pulled his scarf up to his nose. “For your own good,” he defended.

“This is so awesome.” Gilbert took what he assumed to be the motherboard, and then slid it back in. There were tiny lights behind the eyes, and numerous computer pieces he had never seen before. It was going to be fascinating to mess with. And hopefully fix.

Ivan glanced at the clock on Gilbert's computer. “We should be going soon. We have a long drive in the morning, and I do not want to go to bed too late.”

Gilbert frowned at the clock. “Oh, yeah.”

They didn't have anything else that needed to be done there, and the rest of the work would have to be done over the phone or videochat. Gilbert walked them down to the building's front door and they said their goodbyes.

“Thanks so much!” Alfred hugged Gilbert, and Gilbert hugged back tightly. Ivan bristled silently. Especially when Alfred purred.

“I'll keep you updated on Tony,” Gilbert promised.

Ivan and Gilbert shook hands, neither having much to say to the other.

When the door was shut behind them and they started down the sidewalk, Alfred said, “he seems nice.”

“I still don't fully trust him.”

“Do you trust anyone?”

Ivan grabbed Alfred's hand, “I trust you.” Alfred smiled and purred happily.

When they got back to the hotel, Ivan laid down on the bed and Alfred crawled over to lay on his chest, his green alien tucked under his arm. Mr. Whale, apparently.

“Why did you name it Mr. Whale?” Ivan asked.

“Because whales are cool. I think they're one of my favorite Earth animals.”

“Mm. Are there no whales on your planet?”

“There's similar animals. They look different, but they're about the same size as a blue whale. We call them oogas.” Ivan giggled at the name and Alfred huffed at him, the tiniest smile playing on his lips. “You think 'whale' _doesn't_ sound funny?”

“I suppose it does.” Ivan rolled the word around in his head. It was like when you said a word too often, or too many times in a row, and eventually it stopped sounding like an actual word. It was more of a noise than anything else. “I should take you to an aquarium.”

Alfred purred at the idea. The last time he'd gone to look at aquatic animals had been with Matthew, a while before they left for their mission. “Ivan.”

“Yes?”

“Can you read to me?”

An odd request. A bit random. Entirely doable. “Sure.” Ivan grabbed the book he'd set on the nightstand and opened it to the first page. He didn't mind rereading a few chapters. He read until Alfred's breathing evened out and his weight fell heavy with sleep. Ivan would have to wake him eventually, for dinner and to change into something more comfortable for the night.

* * *

It was always so silent when no one was speaking, which was most of the time. The flight had been almost entirely quiet, save for the occasional location update from the pilot. That's the way it was in space; silent. A cold, if it weren't for the regulated heating in the podships.

Matthew leaned, peering around the captain's seat to gaze down at the marbled planet below. Vast blue, tan planes and open green regions. White showed where it was currently winter, and fluffy clouds obscured the view of the land. They were so, _so_ close. And getting closer.

“Preparing for descent,” the pilot announced.

Entering an atmosphere, especially the heavier ones, always had its risks. Matthew tightened his safetybelt and Kumajiro's, and braced himself. His hands gripped the armrests until his knuckles turned white and he held his breath.

“Thrusters.”

“Go.”

“Safety.”

“Go.”

“Discent in...5...”

4...

3...

2...

1...

“Go.”

With a jolt, the podship surged forward. It could shake the life out of anyone as the careened closer and closer. Matthew's eyes squeezed shut so hard he saw colors and stars. The pressure surrounding him and his crew mates increased, getting more and more intense as they entered the atmosphere at a rapid speed. So quick they would have looked like a simple meteor to anyone that saw.

It was impossible to tell how long it lasted. Distantly, Matthew thought the pilot would be able to tell him. Or their captain. Alfred knew. He had to, to configure the numbers with pressure, to figure out the right amount plating to protect the ships. Alfred had always been good with numbers.

There was a harsh jerk before everything settled.

After a calming moment, Matthew pried his eyes open. They were still lowering themselves toward the ground, and all he could see was endless gray sky. Slowly, the tops of snow covered trees came into view out the main window. For as far as he could see were the tops of snow covered trees. The...leaves? No, needles. Pine trees, an Earth plant. He had read about them. The pine needles poked out, giving a dark green edge to the surrounding white. So stark and bright. It was almost blindingly bright, only dimmed by a cloud covered sky. But even that didn't do much to help. He squinted, his eyes needing to adjust to the sudden change in light.

“Preparing to land,” the captain of their small crew said, her fingers flying across the pod's control panel.

A steaming hiss was released as the podship settled in the snowy field. Somewhere they wouldn't be spotted so easily, or stumbled upon and found. Still close enough to a town that they would be able to reach help, should they need any. The overhead computer flashed the exact coordinates. Matthew's glasses read off a simpler explanation.

“Life support systems; shut down,” the pilot said, “we are able to disembark whenever, sir.”

“Are you ready, Dr. Williams?” The captain asked.

Matthew sucked in a shaky breath and let it out slowly. “Yes.”

**Earth – North American continent – Country of Canada – Ontario Province.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Matthew is finally on Earth! :D
> 
> Thanks for all comments and kudos! And Happy New Year :)


	15. Don't Give Them Marmite

Matthew puffed warm breaths onto his hands. He rubbed them together and held them close to the small fire he'd started. He was in an abandoned cabin, or so he assumed it was abandoned. There were a few pieces of furniture. But no electricity or running water, and a thin, filmy layer of dust coated everything.

It had been a day since they'd landed, and he was alone. After finding shelter, the two other crew members went back up search the planet from low Earth orbit. Matthew had three months to find Alfred from the ground, and then they'd be back to pick him up.

He sat on a rug, in front of the fireplace. Kumajiro was next to him, face down and the back open to reveal an inner compartment. He kept his emergency first aid kit inside, along with a few other things. He hadn't been able to bring much. A few food packs, a bottle of water, and a signal scrambler.

Matthew had the scrambler out, its shape resembling a small yellow bird, and had pulled the connector cord out from the mouth. It was hooked up to Kumajiro's right ear, blocking any kind of signal that might be sent out or picked up. He knew Alfred might have Tony sending out signals, but it would be dangerous if the wrong person picked up on them. It was too soon for that, he needed to be sure of his safety before attempting to locate Alfred.

“Hello,” Matthew recited, “I-... _I'm_ , looking for my brother.” He smiled at his progress, the words flowing out smoothly. He'd been teaching himself English, having started while still in space. His glasses could pick up the language from Earth's satellites for him to study. He spent several hours a day memorizing words and grammar, and useful sentences. On Earth, he had his glasses to show him translations, and a book that had been left in the cabin.

He pressed on at the buttons on his glasses, sending the translator away. He dug around in Kumajiro and took out the first aid kit and his water bottle. In the first aid kit was a bottle of pills. Contact Medication, which he'd never needed to use before. He unscrewed the cap and spilled one out onto his palm. Small, round, and pale pink. It would trick his body into releasing a chemical, Oxiccerin. The natural method was physical contact. Without it, the chemical would build up and create a blockage.

Matthew used the cap of his water bottle as a cup and filled it with water, then tossed back the pill. He returned everything to inside Kumajiro.

Alfred wouldn't have the pills. Was he alright? Tony wouldn't be enough to sustain him for this long.

Matthew needed human clothes. Something that would allow him to blend in. Currently, he was wearing one of the spacesuits. A black jumpsuit with the GSA symbol on the chest, and black boots. His orange gloves had been taken off and put in Kumajiro. It kept his core warm enough, and his feet, but he was sure he'd stick out. He'd accessed the Internet with his glasses and looked up what the people of Earth wore. Fashion seemed to be a popular topic among many. Now how to actually _get_ clothes?

He also needed currency. And to figure out how to travel. He knew there were in-atmosphere ships -humans called them planes,- and cars, buses, boats. Which one would be the most efficient for finding Alfred?

Matthew stood and wandered through the cabin. There were doors he hadn't looked behind yet, having kept to the main room and the kitchen so far. In the hallway was a closet and he perked up at finding an old quilted blanket inside. He quickly shook the dust out of it and wrapped it around himself. His nose felt frozen and his cheeks were pink.

In a bedroom, there was a wooden bed frame with a bare mattress, and an empty closet. The second bedroom had two smaller bed frames, and the closet had a few clothes inside. Flannel shirts and a pair of heavy jeans. They wouldn't keep him as warm as his spacesuit, but they would help him blend in once he headed toward the city. There were also a few coins in the front pocket. He brought them back to his spot in front of the fireplace and set them with Kumajiro.

The bathroom was empty, save for a forgotten razor that had fallen behind the toilet.

It was dark out, and the air felt eerily still. Matthew had researched local animals and it would be too dangerous to leave until the sun came up. He settled back in his spot and debated his sleeping options. The mattress would be more comfortable and he wouldn't wake up sore, but the fire would keep him warmer. So long as it kept going all night. If it died while he was asleep...he could set an alarm on Kumajiro to wake him up every few hours.

He could also just move the mattress. That would provide both comfort and extra warmth. He cleared everything out of the way, setting it aside near the wall, and went to the bedroom.

It wasn't heavy, but the size and flimsiness made trying to drag it around awkward. Matthew placed it in front of the fireplace, leaving about a foot between to prevent a fire hazard, and then moved his things onto the mattress.

He laid down, curled up in the quilt and using Kumajiro as a pillow. Tomorrow, he started his mission of finding Alfred.

It was freezing. Even with the sun now high in the sky, Matthew was shivering and hugging himself for warmth. He'd managed to fit the flannel and jeans over his spacesuit, which helped somewhat, and wrapped the quilt around himself. Kumajiro was secured to his back over the quilt, with black straps the extended from the paws. The scrambler bird dangled from the bear's ear.

His glasses pointed him in the right direction to find a nearby town. He just had to follow the road, which hadn't been too far from the cabin. His bigger goal was to, somehow, make it to Toronto. On foot. A more populated city would have more resources, maps, hopefully public computers. Finding a library would be helpful.

Matthew stepped the side, glancing over his shoulder as tires rolled to a stop next to him. A big, red truck. The driver rolled the passenger window down and leaned across the seat.

He gave Matthew a confused look up and down. “You need a lift, kid? The next town isn't for another eight kilometers.”

Matthew stared up at him silently. English. “Um- y-yes, please. Thank you.” He hoped he didn't have a strange accent. He quickly opened the door and slid in. He had move Kumajiro to his lap before he could put his safetybelt on. The man shot his Friend a strange look, but didn't mention it.

“Name's Dylan, by the way,” the man asked as he started driving again.

“Mine is Matthew.” He sighed happily at feeling heat blowing out of the vehicle's vents.

“How'd you even get out here?” Dylan asked, “Nothing out this way but hunters and loggers.”

“I, um- I'm...”

“You lost or something?”

“Yes. And I'm looking for someone. My brother, Alfred. We're twins.”

Dylan glanced at him and clicked his tongue, “I can't say I've seen another one of you running around here. When's the last time you saw him?”

Matthew frowned, leaning back into the seat. “Several months ago.” Had it really been that long? “He's an engineer. He was doing repairs on the p- uh, cars. He took one for a test drive and I haven't seen him since.”

“I'm real sorry about that, Matthew. Hope you find him.”

“Yeah. Me, too.”

* * *

As promised, Ivan stopped by Pine Bush on their way home. It was a small town, nothing much to see. Alfred was excited nonetheless. He asked for Ivan's phone, wanting to photograph everything. The sign for the _Cup and Saucer_ diner, the inside of the diner. They sat down for a quick breakfast. It was a quaint little place, styled as a classic American diner. Everything was decorated in blue and white. Booths with white vinyl seats and blue tables, tiled floors, stools lining the front counter. Ivan thought it was a shame that he couldn't spot a jukebox. Alfred would have been amused by it.

He smiled at Alfred, watching him be fascinated by the bacon his pancakes came with.

“Ivan, try this!” Alfred held out one of his strips.

“I have had bacon, Alfred.” The wilted look on Alfred's face. Was it that important to him? “But I haven't been here before.” Alfred's whole form lit up as Ivan took it and bit off a piece. He had never really thought much of bacon. It wasn't a favorite, but he didn't dislike it either. The piece Alfred gave was decently good, crisp and flavorful.

“I like Earth food. It's sweet.”

“I think that is an American thing.”

Alfred hummed, taking a bite of his blueberry pancakes. He'd added butter and quite a bit of syrup. Ivan had a simple black coffee and his own pancakes, no bacon or any other kind of side. He enjoyed watching Alfred enjoy things.

“You stare at me a lot,” Alfred said, glancing at him.

“You're nice to look at.” Ivan wondered if he should have kept that to himself. Alfred only huffed and blushed. Ivan thought of something he'd never considered before. “What does your name sound like in your language?”

The words still came easy to Alfred, even after not using his native tongue for so long. It _sounded_ like the sounds of Alfred F. Jones, but distinctly...not. Not the words, just similar sounds. He tried it once with Freedom, and then again with Foster and made a face.

“I still like Freedom better.”

“It does suit you.” Alfred often seemed like a cloud. Or the sun. Something observable, yet impossible to actually catch and hold down.

Once they'd finished their breakfast, they got back on the road to go home.

A week after they'd returned home, a manila envelope showed up in the mail. It was marked only Ivan's address and an international postage stamp from Spain.

Alfred bounced on his heels excitedly as he tore it open and dumped out the contents onto the kitchen table. Ivan stood at his side, and Sputnik watched from where she was perched on a chair. A birth certificate, a passport, an ID card, and a social security card all spilled out onto the tabletop. The birth certificate even had _July 4_ as the date. Gilbert had changed it in the official records and had his friend photoshop the original document.

“Keep this one with you when you go out,” Ivan pointed to the ID card, “the others should be stored somewhere safe.”

“I don't have anywhere to put them.”

Ivan hummed thoughtfully. He did have a drawer in desk for important files. “I can keep them for you.”

“Okay!”

He found an empty file folder and wrote _Alfred_ on the label. His own folder, for his own paperwork. Alfred was officially a citizen of Earth and the United States. Even if the process to get there had been slightly illegal. There was no lock on the drawer, so he'd be able to get to them whenever he needed. He also had his own cellphone now, which had arrived a few days before the envelope. Ivan made sure he had his number in the contacts list, along with Arthur and Francis, Gilbert, and the local fire department.

After that, all that was left was a bank account. Which meant contacting Gilbert. They had on a few occasions throughout the week, and it usually ended with Alfred and Gilbert talking for a few hours about aliens and UFOs, and trying to figure out Tony. Ivan and Gilbert tried casual conversation as well, and though it was mostly Ivan telling Gilbert what it was like living with Alfred. They'd made some progress with Tony, enough so that Gilbert was able to turn on the main systems. He sent an email full of files that Alfred had been keeping on it. Photographs and audio recordings. He'd had been ecstatic that they'd been saved and showed the pictures to Ivan.

The crash site, which had looked horrendous. Ivan couldn't even tell what the podship was supposed to like, it was in too many ruined pieces and a some of them were on fire. It really had been amazing that Alfred had survived. He claimed it was the thick outer shell and strong safetybelts that saved him.

Alfred's first sights of Earth. The forest, the park, Kirkland Records, Arthur and Francis. A stray cat, a bench, a postbox, someone's baby, a McDonald's cheeseburger. Near the end, there were a few pictures of Ivan, Sputnik, and the apartment.

Ivan sat in the desk chair. Alfred sat on his lap and leaned on the desktop with his elbows. Ivan started up Skype and checked that Gilbert was on, like he said he'd be, and pressed the video icon.

“What's up, losers?” Gilbert greeted once his face appeared on the screen.

“Gilbert.”

“Hi! How's Tony?”

“Pretty good,” Gilbert said, “I had to replace the audio recorder, and I think I might have to replace the speakers, too. The camera was fine, since the head was still intact. I'm gonna take a look at the signal box next.”

“Be careful with that,” Alfred said.

“We received the documents,” Ivan said. “We are setting up the bank account today.”

“I'll be here if you need anything.” Gilbert leaned back in his chair, occupying himself with some piece of Tony.

Ivan made the video window smaller and set it off the side, then opened the web browser. It was convenient that he could just do everything over the Internet. He would be setting up a secondary account, branched off from his personal account, for Alfred to use.

They had to set up an email for him first. He chose FreedomJones as his name.

The process was simpler than Ivan had thought it would be, and Alfred chose the security questions and answers. When it came time to inputting some of Alfred's personal information, Gilbert assured it was safe, he'd double checked it all and ensured it would everything smoothly. Ivan and Alfred would both be sent confirmation emails for the new account.

“Is that it?” Ivan asked.

“Should be,” Gilbert said. He went over everything they'd done and couldn't think of anything else Alfred would really _need_ for living on Earth. “Congrats, Alfred, you are now a citizen of the awesome Earth!”

“Thanks!” Alfred grinned.

Sputnik mewed from floor and picked up her stuffed rocket in her mouth. “Ah, I forgot,” Ivan said. “I always give her catnip after I come home from trips.” He felt bad, it had already been a week and he still hadn't given her a treat.

“I wanna do it!” Alfred stood and scooped her up, grabbing the rocket in his hand. “It's in your room, right?”

“Yes. In the the nightstand's drawer.” Ivan watched him hurry away, talking to Sputnik as he went.

“Hey, can I ask you something?” Gilbert said.

“I don't see why not.”

“Have you two...you know?” Gilbert trailed off, bucking his hips at the air.

Ivan gave him an unamused glare.

Gilbert snickered, “talk about an anal probing.”

Ivan's cheeks heated, a dark blush creeping across his skin. His pink face ruined his attempted glaring. “Shut up, if you know what is good for you.”

“Oh, come on! That was funny.”

“Nyet.” Ivan tried to sink into his scarf. “And we have done no such thing. What would even give you the idea?” And _why_ did he think something like _that_ was any of his business?

“Oh, pfft, I don't know, the way you two are with each other?” Ivan raised an eyebrow at him. “Do you really not notice? You're constantly touching each other, looking at each other, you're almost never apart unless you have to be. If I didn't know you two, I'd assume you were dating.”

Dating? Alfred? The idea made his chest feel fluttery, and Ivan demanded it to go away. He couldn't...did Alfred think...? He always seemed so innocent with those kinds of things. And _that_ with...

“Yo, Ivan!” Gilbert said, raising his voice to catch his attention. “I lose you there?”

Ivan glanced at him, “sorry, I was...thinking.”

Gilbert smirked, “about Alfred?”

Ivan shot him another glare, “goodbye, Gilbert.”

“You totally like him! Admi-” Ivan cut him off, pressing the _end call_ button.

Really. To suggest-! Ivan huffed. Gilbert said Alfred was 'hot.' What did that even _mean?_ A warm body temperature? Aesthetically, he was attractive. Was that it? And how would sex even work with an alien? Technically, Ivan had seen Alfred naked before, but he'd never actually _looked_. He shook his head. Not important.

Ivan had never been one to think or care about sex. Not with just anyone. For him, it was more of an emotional response than a carnal desire. Becoming one with your partner, and the intimacy of the whole act.

A rocket was thrown down the hall and into the living room. Sputnik ran rapidly and tumbled across the floor, catching her prize.

Alfred laughed and padded in after her. “She's funny with the catnip.”

“Mm-hm,” Ivan hummed, watching them. Feelings for Alfred. He cared for Alfred, a lot. Probably more than he should. His heart started to beat faster as he thought about it, and whether or not that was okay. If Alfred was going to live on Earth, he probably wouldn't be this dependent on Ivan for the rest of his life.

Alfred stepped into the kitchen to find something for lunch. Maybe he could even cook something for Ivan! He opened the pantry and spotted the jar of Marmite Arthur had given him. He'd been wanting to try it, and kept asking what it was. Arthur just kept saying it was a 'yeast spread,' whatever that meant. Alfred twisted the lid off and sniffed it.

It smelled...weird. Alfred blinked. He stuck a finger in to taste it, dabbing a bit onto his tongue. It even _felt_ funny...he smeared it between several fingers and frowned. It actually kind of... _burned_. And the more he smelled it, the more his head spun and spun and-

Ivan jumped when he heard Alfred hit the floor. “Alfred!” He ran to him, dropping to his knees beside him. “Alfred- Alfred, what happened?” Ivan pulled the alien into his lap and his head lolled. What did he _do_? Alfred's eyes were half open and their light dim. He said something in his own language. Ivan's heart was beating rapidly, and he adjust Alfred to rest his head in the crook of his arm. “I can't understand you, Alfred. I need you to tell me what's wrong.”

“The stuff...smell...hands burn...” Hands. An open jar of Marmite. It was all over his fingers.

“Okay. Okay.” Ivan picked him up, one arm around his back and the other under his knees, and carried him to the bathroom.

He set Alfred in the tub and leaned him against the wall. Ivan turned on the warm water and grabbed the soap and a washcloth off the sink counter, then thrust Alfred's hands under the faucet. He scrubbed roughly at them to get off any trace of the spread.

“Alfred. Alfred, this is very important. Did you eat any?”

Alfred shook his head. “Tasted. Didn't swallow. Smell...makes me feel weird...”

“Okay.” Ivan shut the water off, the Marmite now down the drain. His throat constricted when he saw how red Alfred's fingers were, like they were covered in a rash. If _this_ was caused just by outward contact, he didn't want to know what would have happened had Alfred ingested any.

Ivan scooped him up out of the tub and took him to the bedroom, and laid him down to rest. Moving quickly, he got aloe lotion from the bathroom cabinet and a glass of water from the kitchen, then went back to Alfred.

He held the glass of water to Alfred's lips, “do not drink, just rinse your mouth out.” He helped Alfred do that, and then started massaging the aloe lotion into his fingers and hands. He'd have to make sure he cleaned up the Marmite really well. And throw out the jar. Or maybe just give it back to Arthur.

“How are you feeling?” Ivan asked. Alfred looked a little more coherent, though his eyes were still dim.

Alfred shrugged, “dizzy.”

Ivan nodded. “Just from the smell? You are _sure_ you did not swallow any?”

“Just tasted.”

Ivan let out a relieved sigh. If it was just the smell making him dizzy, he'd be fine. His fingers on the other hand...Ivan really hoped the aloe helped. He made sure Alfred was well enough to be left alone, then went to clean up the kitchen floor. He wiped up what had spilled with a wet paper towel and put the lid back on the jar, then set it on the counter.

When that was done, Ivan went back to Alfred in the bedroom. He pulled the blanket up around him and gave him Mr. Whale to cuddle. Then, Ivan retrieved gauze and medical tape from the bathroom to wrap up several of Alfred's fingers. He didn't want them to get irritated any further.

“This had better be the last time I have to put this on you,” Ivan mumbled to himself as he worked. Alfred hummed and examined his now bandaged fingers.

Ivan sat on the bed and looked at Alfred's face. Seeing his eyes so dim made his heart ache. He didn't know what he'd do if something happened to Alfred. It wasn't like he could take him to a hospital. Ivan unwound his scarf from around his neck and slipped it loosely around Alfred's. Alfred let out long, soft purr as his eyes slipped closed and he pressed his nose into the soft fabric.

“You scared me,” Ivan said quietly. It wasn't something that happened often. He felt slightly naked without his scarf, but he wanted Alfred to wear it for now. He couldn't quite place the reason _why_. He just did.

“Sorry,” Alfred mumbled. There was a few seconds pause, and then, “my pants are wet.”

Ivan snorted, smirking. The sleeves of his sweater were wet, too. He changed into a t-shirt, and got a dry pair of pants for Alfred. Ivan helped him change, and let him lay back against his chest as they sat on the bed. Sputnik decided to join them, bringing her rocket with her, and made herself comfy on Alfred's knees.

Ivan felt guilty. Logically, he knew he had no way of knowing Alfred would react like that to Marmite of all things. Neither did Alfred, really. Still, every time he glanced at Alfred's wrapped up fingers, he somehow felt responsible.

Alfred craned his neck to look up at Ivan. Ivan noted that his eyes were a little more bright. “I think I discovered my kryptonite.”

Ivan snorted, smiling at the reference. Their faces were so close, and Ivan tensed at the compulsion to kiss him. He shouldn't...

“What if an evil villain shows up? Or a prison full of alien convicts crashes on Earth.” Alfred shifted back, facing forward. At least he was feeling better. “Ooh~ I wonder if I'm gonna have a love interest.”

Ivan frowned. _That_ was not something he'd considered before. Alfred meeting someone. Scenarios ran through his head. Alfred bumping into someone on his way home from work, meeting someone _at_ work. He didn't really go anywhere else without Ivan. Ivan wrapped his arms around Alfred, feeling grateful for that fact.

He pretended it didn't hurt to think of Alfred being with someone else.

It didn't. He just didn't want Alfred to end up with someone untrustworthy, or dangerous. That was all.

Alfred turned onto his side, staring up at Ivan. His eyes were starting to glow, bright and intense.

* * *

Streets, buildings of many shapes and sizes, people, vehicles. After a week of traveling, Matthew had made it to Toronto. A happy little grin broke out on his face and he walked down the sidewalk, turning to take everything in.

He'd walked on foot, hitched ride after ride, slept in public restrooms and wherever else he could hide. A few people had offered him money or food. One person had given him a pair of fingerless gloves, which he was very grateful for. His hands were warm, and he could still use them with ease.

He needed to find a library, do some research. He needed to find the best, most efficient way of searching for Alfred.

He could also use a bath.

Matthew settled for a store's restroom. He washed his face and hands, and under his arms. His hair...all he could really do was comb his fingers through it. And he took another one of his pills. That was as nice as he could present himself for now, and so he slipped out and back onto the streets.

His glasses helped him locate the nearest library. It was warm inside, and it had comfy looking sofas. Unfortunately, that was not what he was after.

He tried taking the scrambler bird off of Kumajiro, just to see, but he wasn't receiving any signals. Matthew tried to keep away thoughts that maybe something had happened...to Alfred, or to Tony. Alfred knew how important Friends were in situations like his, he wouldn't let anything happen to Tony. He probably just turned it off. For safety reasons.

Matthew found the computers and started his research.

Hm. Traveling was...expensive. He also needed something called a passport, and different countries had different kinds of currency. Currency -usually- required a job to obtain. Matthew drummed his fingers on the table top, glancing at a woman that walked passed. No one seemed to be noticing him, which was good. The last thing he wanted was to stand out.

He could set up something temporary. Find work somewhere, a consistent place to sleep. Just until he found Alfred.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They're gonna find Matthew real soon ;) that will be fun. I'd also like to incorporate Arthur and Francis more into the story somehow.
> 
> Anyway- thanks so much for comments and kudos!


	16. When Your Alien Glows

“I keep telling you, your English food is going to kill someone someday,” Francis said, inspecting Alfred's fingers. The bandages had been removed, though they were still a little red.

“Shut up!” Arthur punched his arm. Francis pouted and rubbed his new bruise. He turned to Alfred with a firm frown and pink dusted cheeks. “I said I was sorry, didn't I?”

“Yeah,” Alfred said, “it's fine, really. Ivan cleaned it up and made me feel better.”

Arthur gave a curt nod and folded his arms over his chest, “good. Now, both of you, get back to work.” He grabbed a box of CD's that needed to be put on the shelves and hurried away.

Francis shook his head at him, leaning against the counter, “don't worry, he honestly does feel bad. He is just horrible at showing emotions.”

“I know,” Alfred said with a smile. He looked passed Francis, out the large store windows. Hearts and pinks and reds decorated the city. His research had told him that a holiday, Valentine's Day, was coming up soon. It was a special day, dedicated to expressing your love for a romantic partner.

Alfred wanted to do something nice for Ivan, even though he wasn't Alfred's partner. An excited shiver ran through him, at the thought of spending such a day with Ivan. Alfred had been thinking about those kinds of things a lot recently, and about possibilities. If he was stuck on Earth for life, he would not mind spending that time with Ivan.

Francis noticed Alfred staring at the Valentine's decorations and smirked, “have a certain someone on your mind, mon cher?”

Alfred blinked and felt his cheeks warm. “Yeah.”

Francis smiled, standing up straight, “does our little Alfred have a crush?”

Alfred stared at him for a moment, “a what?”

Francis laughed lightly, “a crush, Alfred. A lucky someone has caught your eye, no?”

Oh, he was talking about _that_. Alfred always did have trouble figuring those kinds of things out, and often didn't realize his own feelings for someone. Matthew was usually the one to point it out. Lately, though...the more he thought about Ivan, the more time they spent together, Alfred would start feel all fluttery and happy inside. He liked Ivan. A lot.

Francis playfully pushed Alfred's shoulder, “so~ tell me who it is.”

“Ivan,” Alfred answered simply.

Francis stared at him, his smile stuck in place. “Ivan?”

Alfred's smile grew, “yeah.”

Francis glanced over to where Arthur was still stocking a shelf. “Isn't he a bit...old for you?”

“No,” Alfred said with a small huff, “time is different in space. And your age number is just counting the amount of times your home planet has completed an orbit since you were born. I may be nineteen, but I could be considered older if I'd been born on Earth. Or Ivan could be considered younger if he'd been born on my planet. You never know, and it'd take a while to calculate.”

“Right.” Francis wasn't sure someone like Alfred should be pursuing a relationship with anyone. Especially not the person taking care of him. “I only worry about you, Alfred. I don't want you getting hurt, especially not by someone you're so close with.”

“Ivan wouldn't hurt me...” Alfred said. Ivan was nice. He wouldn't.

Francis gently squeezed his shoulder, giving him a sympathetic look, “so young. You will learn. Let's get to work before Arthur sees.”

“Mm.” Alfred picked up a plastic bag of cassettes that had been sold to them, and carried them to their shelf. Ivan wouldn't hurt him. If he tried to kiss Ivan...he might accept it, wouldn't he? There was a chance...

Kisses. Alfred lightly touched his lips. Kissing was fun. What would it be like to kiss Ivan? Alfred's eyes started to feel a soft pressure as he thought about Ivan. What was Ivan doing right then? Working, probably. Ivan liked working-

“Alfred?” He blinked and found Arthur right next to him. “Are you alright, lad? Your eyes looked...strange.”

“I'm fine,” Alfred said.

Arthur raised a brow, not believing him. “Are you wearing contacts? You're not supposed to, if you're also wearing glasses.”

“I don't have any contacts,” Alfred said. He stuck the cassettes on the shelf, putting them wherever they would fit.

“Then what was that?”

“What was what?”

Arthur watched Alfred's eyes for a moment. They had appeared to be glowing, when he first walked up to him. But that couldn't be...he sighed and shook his head. “Never mind, go about your business.”

Ivan was typing. He was focused, his fingers diligently moving across the keyboard. An open notebook sat on his desk next him, recent ideas he'd piled together and plot lines he'd come up scribbled down. He was trying something new, probably influenced by his extraterrestrial companion. It wasn't science-fiction, necessarily, still far closer to horror. And Allan -the character he'd created after meeting Alfred- was far more violent. And stubborn. At least Ivan knew what to do with him now.

Ivan was so focused, he froze when a knock sounded at the door. He peered up curiously, wondering who it could possibly be. Toris would have called first, as would Eduard. Raivis never visited by himself. Felix would be pounding and demanding to be let in, and Toris would likely be with him. Whoever it was knocked again, so Ivan got up to answer it.

When he swung the door open, he was met with two people in suits. Those same FBI agents again. His hair stood on end, his whole being set on edge. “Can I help you?”

“Agent Davidson.”

“Agent Masters.”

They both flashed their badges at him. Did they recognize him from the park, or the mall? They had to.

“Ivan Braginsky, correct?” Agent Masters asked.

“Yes. Have I done something-?” He cleared his throat, fighting down a nervous giggle. The back of his neck felt burningly cold. What if it had to do with Alfred's paperwork, Gilbert's hacking...that was all very illegal activity.

“No, you have nothing to worry about, Mr. Braginsky,” Davidson said. Ivan didn't believe them. “We only want to ask you about something.”

Masters had a folder in her hands and flipped it open. Inside were photographs. Ivan recognized the scenes from similar images on Tony. Alfred's crash site. Only these had been zoomed in, blurred to make them more obscure. They would have looked like a car wreck to someone else. Masters handed them to Ivan. “Does any of this look familiar to you?”

Ivan shook his head, a little faster than would be considered casual. “No, I've never seen this. Was there a bad accident?”

“That's what we'd like to figure out,” Davidson said. “These pictures were taken not too far from the local park. We believe someone in the wreck survived and fled the scene. You haven't come across any badly injured person in the past few months, have you? As crash like this, it's unlikely they'd walk away unharmed.”

Again, Ivan shook his head. “I haven't. With the snow, I haven't been to the park in a while.” The crash happened months ago. Why were they showing him pictures _now_? He handed them back. “Sorry. I can't help you.”

“We were told you had a roommate, a young man,” Masters said. “Is he here?”

“No, he is at work.” Ivan was immensely grateful for that.

Davidson glanced into the apartment. “This roommate of yours. We couldn't find him in our databases until recently. Would you know anything about that?”

“Ah, that. Well, he was homeless for a while. After he started living here, we had to get him registered in the city, and an ID. That sort of thing. Is that it?”

They glanced at each other. “It could be,” Davidson said. “Does he go out often?”

Ivan shook his head. “No, he stays in, mostly.”

“Kind of a homebody, is he?” Masters smiled at Ivan, something falsely kind and asking for him to slip up.

Ivan giggled airily, his own smile strained. “Yes, he doesn't care for crowds. Does Alfred have anything do with the photographs?”

“Not as far as we know,” Davidson said, “but we are asking around.”

“Well.” Masters glanced down at the folder, “thank you for you time. Sorry to bother you.”

“It was not a problem,” Ivan said.

Masters pulled a card out of her jacket pocket, “if your roommate knows anything, we'd appreciate it if you made a report.”

“Very well,” Ivan took the card and was finally able to bid them goodbye and shut the door, locking it behind them.

Ivan promptly shredded the card and tossed the torn bits into the kitchen trash. He paced the apartment, his fists clenching and unclenching. They had come _just_ to ask about Alfred, he knew it. A person that wasn't showing up in their searches before, and now he was, and those _pictures_. All out of nowhere. It was so very tempting to blame Gilbert, he was supposed to make it look convincing. And he did, there was really no way around an adult person suddenly appearing. There was no time for that, though. Ivan needed to plan things. A plan to hide Alfred, should the need arise. And it very well might.

Sputnik mewed from where she was laying on the couch and watched Ivan pace.

Natalia and Yekaterina already knew about Alfred. Maybe he could- no. No. He couldn't get them involved like that. It would put them in too much danger. There was also his grandfather's house...but that may pose just as much of a risk to Alfred. He was not the most welcoming man.

Gilbert was from Germany. Did he know of somewhere, the German countryside or a friend Alfred could stay with? There had to be _something_. Would Toris hide someone? He had a family house in Lithuania. A small country, not a place most people wouldn't think to look.

Ivan didn't know how long he'd been pacing until the doorknob jiggled. He froze again, staring at it until the door opened. He relaxed at seeing it was only Alfred, finally home. Ivan rushed over and pulled him into a tight hug before Alfred could even set his backpack on the floor.

Alfred blinked in surprise and then purred happily, pressing his ear over Ivan's heart. It was beating a little faster than normal.

“The FBI were here earlier,” Ivan said.

Alfred frowned. “Those people with the badges? What did they want?”

“You, I think,” Ivan said. He didn't want to let go. He wouldn't let them take Alfred away from him.

“But they left, right? They went away.” Alfred squeezed tighter.

“Da, they left. They are gone now.” And hopefully, they wouldn't come back. Ivan pulled away and went to his desk to grab his phone. He found Gilbert's number in the contacts. The only other human who knew about Alfred, and the only one Ivan knew that could possibly pull off a disappearance.

It rang several times before going to voice mail. Ivan tried again. And again.

Alfred sat curled up on the couch, watching. “I don't think he's gonna answer.”

Ivan ignored him and tried one last time. Finally, Gilbert picked up. “Dude, not awesome. I'm at work right now.”

“We have something to discuss.”

“Kinda busy. Can it wait?”

Ivan sighed, getting impatient. “When do you go home?”

“Uh...in about a half an hour.”

“Fine. Get on the video chat as soon as you get home,” Ivan said, and then hung up.

He looked over at Alfred. Alfred got up from the couch and padded over to him, his eyes starting to glow. “What are we gonna do?”

Ivan placed his hands on either side of Alfred's face. “We will figure it out. I won't let them have you.”

Alfred's eyes brightened and he leaned up on his toes, holding onto the front of Ivan's shirt. Ivan stared intently at his eyes, focusing on them. They never failed to amaze him. Alfred pressed closer, until their breaths mingled and exchanged. Closer and closer, their lips only an inch apart. Somewhere in the back of Ivan's mind, he thought to stop Alfred before he went any further.

Ivan's laptop started making noises, letting him know he was receiving a video call. He broke his gaze away from Alfred to look over his shoulder. He was expecting Gilbert, but it was far earlier than he said he'd be.

Alfred bit his lip and settled back on his heels. They had been so close. And he wanted to get closer. There was _something_ he could try. But that was kind of...no. It was for _Ivan._ “I have to go do a thing!”

“Oh. Alright,” Ivan said, looking back at him. Alfred nodded, a determined look coming over his face, and then disappeared down the hall.

Ivan wondered what that was about, but he didn't have the time. He went to sit at his desk. It _was_ Gilbert, and Ivan accepted the call.

“Alright, I managed to get off early. This better be fucking important.” It looked like he was using his phone, the video showing up vertical and behind him was the city. Gilbert tried to pay attention to both the call and where he was going.

“It is.” In the corner of his eye, Ivan saw Alfred get up and go down the hall. “The FBI showed up today.”

“The- _what_? Why?”

“They are suspicious, I think, of Alfred or myself. They were the same ones that chased us in the park, and that were following us in the mall.”

“Where is Alfred?” Gilbert asked.

“In another room at the moment. He wasn't home yet when they showed up.”

“That's good, at least.” Gilbert finally made it to his apartment and when he stepped inside, he saw Ludwig reading on the couch. “Uh- shit. Just a second.” The phone was stuffed into Gilbert's pocket, the call still open. Ivan could hear muffled German, footsteps, things being moved around.

Gilbert made it to his bedroom and closed the door, bringing up his phone again. “What did they do, exactly? Like, did they just ask about Alfred or what?”

“I need a plan to hide Alfred, should I need to,” Ivan said.

“That's not telling me what happened.”

“They showed me pictures of Alfred's crash site, cropped and blurry ones, asked if I recognized them. Then they asked about Alfred, but not much. I think they wanted to see my reaction, or Alfred's had he been home.”

“Shit. They know, don't they?”

“They are only suspicious. They have no proof.” And they wouldn't _get_ proof, if Ivan could help it. “I don't have a place Alfred could go, if he needed to hide somewhere.”

Gilbert spun in his desk chair, thinking. “And that's why you called me. But I don't- wait, no. That friend of mine- the one that made Alfred's stuff? He lives in this middle-of-nowhere village in Spain, it could be a place. He's not really the type to ask a lot of questions.”

Ivan rubbed his temple. “Perhaps. Is there anywhere else? That may be a plan, but we also need a backup.”

They both thought for a moment. “There's my vati,” Gilbert said, then shivered, recalling childhood memories. “On second thought, maybe not. We could also just move him around, you know? It doesn't have to be one spot. He could stay with Antonio for a while, then vati in Munich, then...somewhere else. I don't know.”

“Who is Vati?” Ivan asked.

Gilbert snorted, smirking. “My dad. Vati means 'dad,' in German. He _will_ ask questions, though. He's pretty strict.”

“Mm.” If Alfred only stayed with Yekaterina or Natalia for a short a while, just until he could go somewhere else...could they move someone all across Europe discreetly? It would take some figuring out. They'd have to get other people involved. “How many connections do you have, exactly?”

Gilbert shrugged, “decent amount. My kinda work, you meet a lot of people.”

“Did you meet them or did you piss them off?”

Gilbert laughed wryly. “I'll figure out who we can trust with this.” He looked over at Tony. He should work more on that. It may come in handy.

“Remember, this is only if we need to,” Ivan said. He opened a notebook to a fresh page and scribbled down names. Toris, Natalia, Yekaterina. They were the only people he knew that might have somewhere Alfred could go. Could he ask Francis, or Arthur? Or both.

“Yeah.” Gilbert said. “I'm gonna go then. I'll talk to you guys later, alright? Tell your boyfriend the awesome me said hi.”

Ivan rolled his eyes. “Goodbye, Gilbert.” He ended the video chat and sat for a moment. Sending Alfred to Europe...was that really a good idea? It's wasn't like he would have a choice, if someone came looking for him. And of course, Ivan couldn't send Alfred overseas alone, he'd have to go with him. What if he got lost, or someone tried to trick him into something?

Where did Alfred go, anyway? Ivan had seen him go to the back of the apartment, to the bathroom the last he'd heard from doors opening and closing. He got up and went to check on him, knocking on the bathroom door.

“Alfred, are you alright?”

“In the bedroom!”

Ivan peered at the open door, then went to stand in the doorway. Alfred was sitting on the foot of the bed, his legs tucked underneath him. He had changed his clothes to something nicer, now wearing a dark pair of jeans and one of Ivan's button-up shirts.

“Um. I want to show you something.” Alfred said, sounding a little nervous. He began unbuttoning his shirt, a pink blush staining his cheeks.

Ivan eyed him, confused. “What are you doing?”

Instead of answering, Alfred shrugged the shirt off and let it fall onto the bed. As he looked up at Ivan, glowing blue markings lit up on his skin.

On Alfred's chest was a sun made by a circle with a dot at the center and wavy lines around it, and three dots leading to his bellybutton. A thin band around each bicep, and a small dot on each knuckle. Five dots from his wrists to his elbows. A thin band around his neck. Three small dots under each eye.

Alfred played with his hands, a small shy smile on his face. Ivan couldn't stop staring. “I, um. I'm presenting myself to you.”

“Okay...” Ivan said slowly. He was what?

Alfred's form shrank back a little. “D-do you accept?”

Ivan stared at each of his...glowing spots, trying to figure out the situation. “Sure.”

Alfred's brow raised. “Really?”

Ivan nodded slowly. “Yes.” Might as well see what Alfred was up to. Was this part of his bonding thing? His eyes were starting to glow.

Alfred smiled, beaming, and a small purr bubbled up. He wiggled in his spot excitedly as Ivan walked up to him, examining the glowing marks. Alfred tilted up, biting his lip to hold down his smile. His eyes were glowing, burningly bright. They were so close, Ivan could again feel Alfred's breath on his face. Alfred leaned forward slowly. Ivan was too focused on neon blue to notice. A tingling chill trailed down the back of his throat, filling his lungs. Along with it was the sense of belonging. And a sense of wanting, a mix of his own desires, and...Alfred's?

Alfred pressed his lips to Ivan's.

Ivan tensed, grabbing Alfred's shoulders out of surprise. Alfred frowned, his eyes returning to normal. “What? You said you accepted...”

“I- Alfred. What are you doing?” Ivan glanced over the blue marks again, getting the feeling they meant something else.

Alfred reached to pick at the fabric of Ivan's shirt. “To my people, presenting your marks to someone is very, um...intimate? We consider our marks sacred and special. So, when we do, it's like saying you're more special to me than anyone, a-and I want to...bewithyou.”

Ivan blinked several times. “You...”

Alfred twiddled his fingers, “I- I wasn't sure what humans did...besides just asking- but there's other stuff, too, isn't there? Something about flowers and candy or- something. I can do that, if you want?”

“Nyet. Alfred. I...” Alfred wanted to be with him? As something other than...whatever they were now. The marks were still glowing, though the longer the silence hung between them, the more they started to fade. Ivan rubbed his thumb over the band on his left arm. “I don't understand these.”

Alfred sat back and made them light up again, gazing down at himself. “They're are my Sun marks. There's this legend that says they were gifted to us from the Sun, to protect us from its harsh rays.” Alfred turned, showing the marks on his back. A row of dots, from the nape of his neck to the tail of his spine. “Biologically, they just absorb heat and protect us from UV radiation. You can't see them unless we make them light up. Or...other things can cause them to. And they're very sensitive when they're showing.”

Ivan inched closer to trail his fingers down the line of circles. Alfred watched him over his shoulder. His breath hitched, and the blush on his cheeks darkened. Alfred wanted to be with him. His own choice, he brought it up himself without Ivan's influence. Showed him something he considered incredibly private. Sacred, even. Ivan felt honored to get to see them.

“S-so. Do you still accept?” Alfred asked, turning back around to face Ivan.

Would it be okay for him to be with Alfred? His reasons to say 'no' were breaking down, and didn't seem to matter so much anymore. Things would change for them eventually. Alfred wouldn't need such protecting and he'd be free to live his life on Earth. They were both adults, they both wanted this. And how could he possibly say no after Alfred showed him something like this? Ivan couldn't stop himself from running his fingers over the marks, the ones on Alfred's chest and stomach. Alfred purred lowly, his eyelids falling half closed. His skin was slightly warmer where his marks were.

Alfred moved closer again, holding onto Ivan's shirt as he tilted up, hopeful. “Ivan?”

“Yes.” Ivan's lips tingled when he kissed him.

* * *

Gilbert was diligently working on Tony, his tool kit sitting on his desk. It had become an after-work habit. He was determined to find out everything about the piece of technology, and to get it working perfectly again. He even ignored his blog to work on it. Mainly because it was _so_ tempting to tell people, show off his new project. A _real_ piece of alien technology! It was the most exciting thing that had ever happened to him. He knew he couldn't, though. The wrong people would find it and come looking for it, and then that would be dangerous for everyone. Especially Alfred.

They really should have backup plans, should they ever need to hide him. There was a list of people Gilbert was planning on contacting about the matter. He wouldn't give away details. Just let them know that he had a friend who might need a place to stay for a while.

Gilbert was currently working on the part that sent and received signals. The casing was cracked, and some wires would need to be repaired. He connected the frayed end of one to another, matching up the colors.

“No-no-no, don't do that!” Gilbert pulled them apart when Tony's eyes flashed. What had Alfred said? They would flash in the direction of the nearest Friend or podship. And the Air Force had the remains of his podship. He put them together again and, according to the compass he'd borrowed from Ludwig, the red light was going northwest.

Gilbert pulled the wires apart again and bit his lip in thought. How could he know what Tony was picking up on? It did have a camera, and a computer, which meant a screen of some sort. If it was another Friend-

Gilbert pulled a connector cable from Tony's mouth and examined it. If he detached the end and replaced it with a USB...

He dug through a desk drawers to find one of his old flash drives. He grabbed his box of tools and took it apart, then carefully removed the end of Tony's connector cable. He replaced it, securing everything with electrical tape, then hooked it up to his laptop.

Nothing happened.

What else could he try...

Gilbert opened his hacking software. It took a lot of work just to make the two compatible. Because of the language and software differences, Tony couldn't read the coding he was using. He had to hook up Tony to his laptop, then installed his laptop's language software on it -first trying to make it compatible with a system override. Now Gilbert could force his software to work on Tony.

It still kept saying 'unreadable.'

He typed in several other codes to try and override Tony's computer. It took several more attempts. He made several corrections and alterations until-

“Ha-hah!” Gilbert punched the air excitedly. He was in. He had access to all of Tony's programming, the base software that only whoever made it was supposed to be able to access.

From there, he got himself into the signal receiver and connected it to the camera screen. When he tried to trace the receiving signal, something blocked him. He changed the codes he was using, hiding himself so whoever was on the other end wouldn't be able to detect him, and successfully hiding him from whatever was blocking him. He opened a video window on his laptop, and connected the wires again.

The video flickered before showing...

Gilbert's brow furrowed. “Alfred?”

No. Not Alfred. The face shape was identical, but there were small differences. His hair was a shade lighter and a little wavier, his cowlick curled down instead of flipping up, and his eyes were closer to purple than blue. It looked liked he was sitting on something, a bed maybe, in front of his...his Friend, Gilbert assumed. Reading something. In a cheap hotel, judging by the background. And if he had a friend. And looked just like Alfred.

Gilbert's eyes widened as realization dawned on him. “Holy shit.”

Matthew was on Earth...

How was he supposed to handle this?

Gilbert began pacing his room, moving anything that seemed out of place or that needed to be put away, wiping up dust. The video was still open, showing him Matthew's hotel room. It wasn't long before it became dark in there, and he needed to figured out _exactly_ where he was. All he could see was ugly wallpaper and the bathroom door. Matthew had presumably gone to bed, his Friend now cuddled in his arms. Gilbert hadn't even tried to get audio. It was creepy enough just _watching_ Matthew. Plus, he doubted he'd be saying much as the only person in the room.

Should Gilbert tell Ivan and Alfred right away, or wait until he discovered a location?

Matthew hadn't really done anything. He'd gone in and out of the bathroom, taken some kind of pill, messed with his Friend, read some book.

Gilbert sat back down in his chair and examined the screen. Matthew had rolled around, his Friend was now pointed at his face. He was cute. There was something softer about him, something more subdued than Alfred. Gilbert minimized the window, sending it out of sight. He felt like a creep, watching him. Especially when Matthew was only sleeping. But he needed to find out where he was staying. If he could at least get the name of the hotel, he might be able to track Matthew down easier.

Judging by the amount of natural lighting in the room, or lack thereof, they were at least in the same -or close to the same- time zone. And Tony's signal, when Gilbert turned it on, was pointing north. The only place north of New York was Canada. While that significantly narrowed the search, it still left a lot of land to cover.

Gilbert opened the window that allowed him to control Tony's signal programming, and studied the codes for receiving signals. There was a string of numbers that identified the Friend it was picking up. He didn't have any way to trace its location, though. Friends didn't work the way a GPS did.

He could just follow the signal.

Gilbert dug through his desk's junk drawer for a box of safety pins and started closing up Tony as best as he could. After unhooking him from the computer. When that was done, he shot out of his chair to grad his laptop bag and a backpack, and started packing both of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hoped that wasn't too rushed? I really wanted them to get together before they found Matthew.
> 
> Again, thanks so much for comments and kudos!


	17. Two Little Aliens

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Full sentences in italics are people speaking in their native language

Legend says that the Sun created Apollonia with its light and its heat, and gave life to the planet. It helped all that it created to survive, providing nutrients and warmth to both flora and fauna. The Sun, however, could not do this alone, for it had to rest after so many hours. It acquired the Twin Moons to guard the planet during the night, though there were still things the three of them could not do. Thus, the Sun also created the Apollonians, a form of life that could care for the planet when the Sun and the Twin Moons were unable. However, the Sun noticed that its Apollonians would become overheated, burned, or ill if they were under its rays for too long, and so gave them their Sun Marks to protect them. They were regarded as sacred, a gift from their creator, and continue to be treated as such today.

Aside from the ones on his upper body, Alfred had a few more marks on his legs; three dots down each thigh, a thin band around each ankle, and a small dot on each toe.

Ivan sat in front of the tub, listening to Alfred tell his peoples' most wide-spread story of creation. Due to scientific advancements, it wasn't commonly believed anymore, and more often told as a children's bedtime story. Alfred was taking a bath and had his arm resting on the side. Ivan ran the tips of his fingers down Alfred's forearm. Alfred purred, making his markings light up wherever Ivan touched, then making them disappear again once he stopped.

“Your planet has two moons?” Ivan asked.

“Yep. We call them Leila and Mio. The legend says they're twins, but Mio is a little bigger than Leila, and Leila has a more irregular shape. There's another part of the legend that says they were consulted when the Sun created Apollonians, and that's why we're usually born as twins.”

“It is very interesting story,” Ivan said. He reached out to run his finger down Alfred's cheek, and Alfred lit up the three dots there. Again, they disappeared as soon as Ivan stopped touching him. “I don't understand why your sun marks are considered so private, though.”

Alfred made all of his marks glow and shrugged. A blush spread across his cheeks as he smiled. They were gone just as fast. “Just a cultural thing, I guess. There's a few places on Apollonia that don't see them that way, but the majority does.”

“Hm.”

Alfred ran his fingers through the water. “You could get in, too, you know.”

Ivan's eyes wandered over the bubbles and suds. “Perhaps another time.”

Alfred pouted at him and scooped up a handful of bubbles to blow in Ivan's face. “You always say that.”

Ivan shot him a disgruntled look and wiped the soppy mess out of his hair. “Why do you want me to take a bath with you so badly?”

Alfred shrugged, playing with more of his bubbles. “It'd be fun. And I read that humans find it romantic, so...there's that.”

Ivan felt his cheeks warm and glanced away. They had kissed a few times the day before. Other than that, their night had been the same as any other. Dinner, spend some time relaxing, bed. Ivan couldn't sleep again and had laid there for a while, with Alfred in his arms. Contemplating himself and his alien and certain obstacles they were sure to encounter.

Differences in Earthly and Apollonian ideas about romance and love. He didn't know what Alfred expected from him, if anything. Was he supposed to take him on a date, or was there something else Alfred would be accustomed to? And then there was the matter of sex, which Ivan was slightly dreading. Many humans had a strange habit of doing it almost right away, which Ivan couldn't understand. It usually took time for him to be comfortable enough in a relationship to want those kinds of things. But Alfred was...his alien. Ivan had never felt so close to anyone before. Alfred also wasn't human, though, and his views on the matter were sure to different.

And Alfred had decided a morning bath was a nice idea. Truthfully, there _had_ been occasions Ivan considered getting in with him. But he wasn't sure how he felt about Alfred seeing him naked yet. It had been a while, not since college, that he had undressed in front of someone.

“Ivan,” Alfred said, catching his attention. When he looked up, Alfred pecked his lips and went back to cleaning himself. “Are we really going to Europe?”

“If we have to,” Ivan said. “If it keeps you safe.”

“What about Sputnik?”

“She could probably come with us. I have a crate for her, somewhere. If not, I will have to find someone for her to stay with.”

Alfred washed his hair, Ivan helped him rinse out the shampoo. Alfred unplugged the drain and stood, and Ivan went to grab the towel off the counter. He wrapped it around him as he stepped out, and Alfred snuggled into the warmth. It was fresh out of the laundry and smelled like floral fabric softener.

Alfred fidgeted on his feet, watching Ivan stare at nothing with a blank expression. He had seemed distracted, or lost in thought, ever since the night before. “Ivan!”

“What?” Ivan blinked and looked over at him, wondering if something was wrong.

Alfred found the floor tiles rather fascinating at the moment. “Does it bother you? That I'm, you know. Not human.” He shrugged, “I get it, I mean, even where I'm from the whole interspecies thing is considered kinda weird. Some people think it's gross.”

Ivan's brow raised. It hadn't even occurred to him that it _should_ bother him. He was too focused on the mere fact that Alfred actually wanted to be with him. “It doesn't bother me at all.”

“Really?” Alfred met his eyes, lowering his towel to his hips as he made all of his marks glow brightly.

They did make it startlingly clear that Alfred was, in fact, not human. Ivan also found them beautiful, and was curious to learn more about them. He hooked a finger under Alfred's chin and looked him in the eyes. “I don't care, Alfred. I want you for who you are.”

Alfred dropped his towel in favor of wrapping his arms around Ivan's neck and kissing him. Ivan slid his hands over Alfred's hips, their lips moving together slowly. Lukewarm water soaked through Ivan's clothes, though he couldn't bring himself to care. Alfred pressed closer, wanting more.

“Mmh,” Ivan gently pushed Alfred away before things could go any further. “You should dry off, and get dressed.”

“Oh,” Alfred settled on his heels, his eyes still glowing and hazy. He wanted to keep kissing.

“You do that. I have some work to attend to,” Ivan said. He felt behind himself for the doorknob and slipped out of the room. The cooler air of the hallway hit him and he moved into the living room. When he got there, he stopped dead in his tracks upon seeing the window behind his desk.

More accurately: what was outside of it.

Gilbert Beilschmidt sat on the stairs of the fire escape, staring back at him. He had two bags with him, and his nose was red from the cold. Ivan hurried over to the window and slid it open.

“What are you doing here?” Especially on the fire escape. Was he aware there was a front door?

Gilbert slipped his bags into the window, landing them on the floor with a _thump_. “I need to borrow your car,” he said as he crawled through. He righted himself and shivered, shaking off snow that had fallen on him. “Fuck, it's cold out there.”

“Borrow my...? Gilbert, what are you even doing in Albany?” Ivan shut the window and locked it. “How did you get here?”

“Greyhound bus,” Gilbert said simply. “Where's Alfred? I've discovered something awesome.”

“He is getting dressed,” Ivan said, “why did you come up the fire escape?”

“Because you wouldn't answer the fucking door,” Gilbert said, looking rather perturbed by having to sit out in the frozen air. “What, where the sex noises too loud to hear me knocking?”

Ivan crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at him, “enough with suggesting he and I are sleeping together.”

“Whatever, look-” Gilbert walked around the desk and over to the kitchen table, “I really need to talk to Alfred.” He set his bags on a chair and pulled Tony out.

“About what?” Ivan asked, eying Tony warily, standing next to him.

Gilbert glanced at him. “You sure you two weren't doing anything? Your clothes are wet.”

Ivan ducked his chin into his scarf, his face heating again as he recalled the previous moments. His clothes clung to where Alfred had been pressed against him. “It is none of your business.”

Gilbert snorted, “you two are so getting it on.”

Ivan scoffed and ignored him.

“Gilbert's here!” Alfred appeared from the hall, now dressed and his hair still wet. He grinned, bouncing up to Gilbert to hug him.

“Hey! What's up, spaceman?” Gilbert hugged him back and then pulled away.

“I showed Ivan my sun marks,” Alfred said, blushing and smiling bashfully.

“Your what?” Gilbert asked.

“That is not important right now,” Ivan said, “Gilbert, why are you here? You said you discovered something.”

“Yeah. Yeah. Get this,” Gilbert placed his hands on Alfred's shoulders, incredibly serious, “Matthew is on Earth.”

Alfred blinked. “What?”

Ivan couldn't believe what he'd said, either. He kept his eyes on Alfred, watching him closely. What would they do if Matthew was on Earth? They'd just agreed to be together, and now Alfred's people might have come to take him away. However things worked out, he would do what was best for Alfred.

“Matthew. Is on Earth,” Gilbert repeated, grinning.

Alfred bounced on his heels, his smile continuously going between rising and falling, unsure of how to properly react. “Where?”

“I don't know,” Gilbert said. He dropped his hands to grab Tony. “I know he's in Canada. Probably. Possibly northwestern New York. But he is here. I got into Tony's programming, and used the signal to get into Matthew's Friend, and I saw him. He's here, staying at some cheap motel somewhere. Which is why-” Gilbert turned to Ivan, pointing at him, “I need to borrow your car.”

“You want to go find him,” Ivan said. Of course he would, though he hoped Gilbert didn't expect to take Alfred with him.

“I wanna go, too,” Alfred said quickly, “if Mattie came all this way for me, I have to go.”

“I don't know,” Ivan said, “what if someone else picks up his signal? It would be too dangerous, Alfred. I would much prefer it if you stayed here.”

“B-but...”

“He's right,” Gilbert said, “besides, I'm not gonna be able to get both of you across the border and back. It's easier and safer if you stay here.”

Alfred frowned, glancing from Gilbert to Ivan and back. “Mattie's here. He's really here?”

Gilbert nodded, still smiling, “yeah. Awesome, right?”

Alfred smiled back, “yeah.” He felt a buzzing whirl of emotions. He thought he'd be excited and happy if Matthew ever came to get him, and he was. He was beyond excited to get to see his brother again. He was also conflicted about Ivan and their changing relationship.

“How's this- you have your cellphone, right?” Gilbert asked. Alfred nodded. “As soon as I find him, I'll call you and you can talk to him. Okay?”

“Um. Okay.” Alfred nodded in agreement. “I'll...I'll stay here. With Ivan.”

Ivan smiled softly at him, glad he'd agreed. He went over to a drawer in the kitchen counter and dug out his spare car key, then handed it to Gilbert. “If there is so much as a scratch, you will be paying for the damage.”

Gilbert stuffed it into his pocket. “I'll be careful, I promise. I also need Alfred's passport.”

“For what?” Ivan asked, eying him suspiciously. They already agreed Alfred wouldn't go.

“Because if he's in Canada, how the fuck else am I gonna get him across the border?” Gilbert said. “They're identical twins, no one's gonna notice. And we don't have time to get a whole new passport for him. That's also why Alfred needs to stay here; I can't use one passport for two people.”

“Right,” Ivan said and went to get it. He felt like he should have thought of that.

“And make sure Mattie stays safe, too. I'm trusting you with him,” Alfred said. He gripped Gilbert's arm, his eyes narrowed, “guard him with your life.”

“I will,” Gilbert said, leaning away a little. Ivan returned and handed him the passport. Gilbert unzipped his backpack and tucked it into an inside pocket. He switched to his laptop bag and pulled out a notebook, the side lined with different colored tabs. Gilbert flipped it open to one of the middle pages and pulled out a loose notepad page. He handed it to Ivan, then put everything away. “This is a list of people I know that can help, and where they live. You think you can plot out a map of where we'd be sending Alfred?”

“Da, thank you,” Ivan said, looking over the list. Five names in total.

“I should get going. I don't know how long it'll take to find him.” Gilbert gathered his bags and Tony.

“Be careful!” Alfred said, giving him another hug.

“Of course I will,” Gilbert said, returning the hug, “and I'll bring your brother here, 'cause I'm awesome like that.”

Ivan walked him out and locked the door. When he turned, Alfred was standing right behind him, his eyes glowing.

“Mattie is here,” he said. He wrapped his arms around Ivan's waist and pressed close, pressing his ear over Ivan's heart. “He's here.”

“It appears so,” Ivan held him tight, one arm wrapped around Alfred's waist while the other was around his shoulders. Alfred's hair was still damp, several drops landing on Ivan's forearm. Ivan buried his face in the crook of Alfred's neck. He was happy for Alfred, but he also felt like he was about to lose him.

“I can't believe he's really here.” Alfred mumbled. “And you have to take me on a date.”

“Hm?” Ivan's brow furrowed.

“A date. That's what humans call it, right? When you spend time with just your partner, and you do special things together.”

“Is that what you want?” Ivan pulled back a little to look at his face.

Alfred nodded, “before Mattie gets here. I want us to do something special together.”

“Okay.” Ivan wasn't sure _what_ yet, but he knew he'd have to plan something Alfred would never forget. He slid his hands to Alfred's arms, “we will. But for right now, we need to work on our trip to Europe. Everything needs to be prepared, should we have to leave on short notice.”

On Ivan's bookshelf was a book of maps, containing one specifically of Europe. Ivan spread it out on the kitchen table, placing the notepad paper on the bottom right corner. He used a pen to mark where each person lived.

 _Antonio Carriedo – southern coast of Almeria in Andalusia, Spain_  
Gerald Beilschmidt (my dad) – Munich, Germany  
Vash and Lili Zwingli – Sargans in St. Gallen, Switzerland  
Roderich Edelstein can help you through Austria  
Elizabeta Hedervary – Budapest, Hungary (she owes me a favor)

Ivan hadn't even spoken to the people he knew yet. He wasn't sure what to tell them that wouldn't sound questionable. Still, he added them just in case. He could always cross them out later. There was Toris' place in Lithuania, Yekaterina's house in Ukraine, Natalia's apartment in Belarus, and their grandfather's house in St. Petersburg, Russia.

“Francis and Arthur are going to visit France soon,” Alfred said, “should we put that down, too?”

“I suppose,” Ivan said. “Where in France?”

Alfred shrugged, “he said they were gonna be in Paris for a few days, and then somewhere called Nice.”

Ivan marked it on the map, though he wasn't sure how he would ask Francis about this. He looked over at Alfred, who was sitting in a chair and leaning up on the table. Ivan kissed him because he could. Alfred purred, the marks on his cheeks lighting up.

* * *

Gilbert turned the heat up. He kept one hand on the steering wheel, the other elbow resting on the center console. His bags were in the back, and Tony was in the passenger seat. He kept glancing in the mirrors every few seconds, suspicious of every car that drove behind him, his nerves on edge that he would be followed.

He'd told his workplace he needed a few days off for a 'family emergency.' Since he almost never took time off to begin with, he had plenty of vacation days to use. Ludwig hadn't been home when he headed out, so Gilbert left a quick note on the fridge. Which was why he wasn't at all surprised when his cellphone started to ring.

“ _Hello?_ ”

“ _What emergency? Are you alright?_ ” Ludwig asked in German, sounding deeply concerned.

“ _I'm fine, I'm fine. There's just something really fucking important I gotta take care of._ ”

“ _Brother, I swear, if this has something to do with aliens or UFOs-_ ”

Gilbert snickered, glancing at the mirrors again, and cut him off, “y _ou wouldn't believe me if I told you._ ”

Ludwig sighed, and Gilbert swore he could hear him pinching the bridge of his nose. “ _I had better not have to bail you out of trouble again._ ”

“ _Trust me, I'm doing everything I can to avoid trouble right now,_ ” Gilbert said. He glanced at Tony. “ _I have to go. I'm driving._ ”

“ _Fine. Call me when you are heading home_.”

“ _I don't know when that will be, I'm on my way to Canada. I'll just call you when I'm back in the states. Talk you later, Luddy._ ”

Gilbert hung up and tossed his phone into one of the cup holders. It was a six hour drive from Albany, NY to Canada, give or take a few minutes. However, Tony was not the best at directions. Roads didn't always line up with which way he needed to go, and so he'd had to turn around every so often and try a different route. Once Gilbert had ended up in an area of nothing but forest and still no difference in Tony, he'd decided to just use his phone to get him to the border.

Niagara Falls was the fastest way through that he knew of. Gilbert drove through border security, having to show his passport, and was on his way. He kept a close eye on Tony as he drove through the city. Tony's eyes had started to flash faster as soon as he was in the country.

The closer he got to Toronto, the faster they went. Once actually _in_ Toronto, Gilbert was sure Matthew had to be there. He drove slower, leaning forward in the seat as he searched for any possible sign of Matthew. When Tony's eyes were so fast, the flashing was more of a blinking, Gilbert pulled over in along the sidewalk and got out, taking the device and his laptop bag with him.

He kept glancing from Tony to the surrounding city, the shops and various other buildings, faces and everything in between. He reached a corner of the sidewalk and Tony's eyes were almost a solid, bright red, barely even blinking. Alfred said solid red meant he'd reached the source of the signal. But, where... Gilbert turned, one way and then the other, squinting even though it was useless. He didn't see anyone that looked like Alfred's twin. There was a _Tim Horton's_ on the corner, a clothing store across the street, a small area with a fountain adjacent to them.

Gilbert cursed his bad eyesight. It was impossible to clearly see faces more than a two or three feet away. Alfred said Matthew's Friend was a white bear, but he didn't see that either. The falling snow and quickening wind certainly didn't help anything. He sighed, feeling defeated, and waited by the traffic lights to cross the street. According to Tony, Matthew _had_ to be in the area. The lights changed, the cars stopping and allowing people to cross. He glanced at every face around him, ruling out brunettes and redheads, people that were too tall or too short.

When he stepped onto the sidewalk, he spotted a small bookstore and walked in, busying himself as he tried to think of another way to find Matthew. He wandered down the side, a wall of magazines and old newspapers.

 _Beep-beep._ Tony's eyes went black.

“The fuck?” Gilbert turned it over in his hands, wondering what just happened to it.

“Are you okay?” A worker asked. He had a magazine open in his hands.

“Y-yeah, fine. My-” When Gilbert looked over at the person, he stopped and grinned. “Awesome.”

Matthew stood only a few feet away, his Friend next to a cardboard box on the floor. He watched Gilbert curiously, not having noticed or recognized Tony yet, too focused on Gilbert's face. When Gilbert only stared at him, Matthew furrowed his brow. “Can I help you?”

“Uh-” Gilbert scanned over a row of magazines, trying to play casual. How was he supposed to bring up Alfred and why he was there? He draped Tony around the strap of his laptop bag and picked up a National Geographic magazine. The cover posed the question, _are we alone?_ And pictured an unknown planet in an unknown galaxy. He held it up for Matthew to see, “aliens.”

Matthew glanced at the cover, then up at Gilbert. “Okay...?” He fidgeted on his feet, shifting the magazine in his hands. He flipped it shut and placed it on the shelf.

Gilbert put the magazine back and held up Tony. Matthew stiffened noticeably, standing straighter. “I know your brother.”

“A- who are you?” Matthew asked sharply, eyes narrowing.

“A friend, my name is Gilbert. I promised Alfred I'd get you and bring you back to him,” Gilbert explained quickly, moving closer to keep his voice low.

Matthew studied Gilbert's face, a foot sliding back should he need to make a quick exit. “Why should I believe you?”

Gilbert dug his phone out of his pocket, “I can call him, and you can ask him yourself. You can even see him, if you want.”

Matthew hesitated, eying him suspiciously, before nodding quickly. If this Gilbert person couldn't show him Alfred, he'd grab Kumajiro and run. Gilbert pulled up Ivan's Skype contact and pressed the video button. He had planned to call Alfred's phone, but he didn't have Skype and this sounded like a better way of gaining Matthew's trust. It rang several times before Ivan's face appeared on the small screen.

“Gilbert?”

Gilbert turned the phone around so Ivan and Matthew could see each other. Ivan called Alfred over once he realized what was going on.

“Alfred?” Matthew searched the screen, taking the phone into his own hands.

“Mattie!” Alfred appeared and they were both smiling so wide, their faces started to hurt.

“Al! How- what- where are you? Are you okay?”

“Yeah- yeah, I'm fine. I'm in a place called Albany, New York. Gilbert said you were in Canada! And you're speaking English. When'd you get here? This is Ivan! He's been taking care of me.” He tilted to the side so Matthew could see him, then moved back.

Matthew laughed a little at how fast Alfred was speaking, and the overwhelming relief to see him, see that he was okay. “I, um, I got here a little over a week ago. I've been trying to find you, but I wasn't sure how. Kumajiro- it wasn't picking up anything. I mean, it did for a minute or two but then it stopped. I thought- I was so worried about you.”

“Gilbert's gonna bring you to New York, okay? You can trust him, he's helped me a lot. So, just stay with him, okay?”

“Okay. Okay,” Matthew couldn't tear his eyes away from Alfred's face. It had been months, and he was finally able to see him and hear him.

“I can't wait for you to get here,” Alfred said, “I missed you.”

“Me, too.” Matthew picked at the buttons of his sweater.

“We'll be there as soon as we can, alright?” Gilbert said, just loud enough for Alfred to hear. “We gotta go so we can get ready.”

“What- no, I-” Matthew glanced from Gilbert to Alfred. He didn't want to hang up yet.

“It's okay. We'll be together really soon, just stick with Gil,” Alfred said.

Matthew frowned, but nodded reluctantly. “Okay. Really soon.”

“ _I love you,_ ” Alfred said in their language.

“ _I love you, too_.”

Alfred grinned at him before letting Ivan end the call. Matthew handed the phone back to Gilbert.

Gilbert stuffed the phone back into his pocket, “we need to go as soon as possible.”

Matthew had another hour left of work, which Gilbert spent in the _Tim Horton's_ across the street. He set his laptop up and spent the time emailing friends, checking his blog. He also noted that the weather was getting worse.

Matthew rode in the passenger seat, directing Gilbert on how to get to the family owned inn he where had had been staying. On the way, Gilbert informed him that he had Alfred's passport to get him across the border, so he would have to pretend he was Alfred for a moment or two. He also explained that there were government agents that had been showing up, interested in Alfred and that they had his wrecked podship. They needed to keep away from them at all costs. Matthew was silent, thinking over this information. He was supposed to contact his crew members once he found Alfred. But if people were after them, he should wait until he was with Alfred and then discuss the best course of action. It may not be safe for the other two to land yet, let alone stay grounded long enough for them to find the ship and board.

Matthew used his key, the inn's tag danging from it, and pushed open the door. It was cheap, but also warm and there was a bathtub. A bed against one wall, a nightstand, a dresser with a digital clock sitting on it, and the bathroom door on the far wall. There was also a small kitchen-type area, with a small amount of counter space, a sink, a microwave, and a shelf holding some dishes and silverware.

The wall above the dresser was covered. Matthew had been gathering things. Clippings from newspapers, magazines, printed articles. Anything he could find about UFO and alien sightings or suspected crashes within the past several months. He'd pinned them all to the wall, using either tacks or tape, and had string connecting reports made within a close range of each other. Reports from all over the planet, whatever he could find. Mostly, they'd come from the library or spare papers at the bookstore. Matthew hadn't found anything that he thought could be Alfred. The UFO crash reports were too ambiguous to tell, the alien sightings all described small gray people. He wasn't even sure if the sources were reliable. And then Gilbert showed up.

Gilbert studied the wall, leaning over the dresser to clearly see everything.

“Do you need more light?” Matthew asked, glancing at the lamp on the nightstand.

“No.” Gilbert stood straight, “it's not that, my eyesight is just not so awesome.”

“Oh. Then, why don't you wear corrective lenses?” Matthew asked.

Gilbert shrugged, running his fingers over the dresser top, “doesn't help.” He had always been a little bitter about that. Everyone in his family had perfect vision. Except for him.

“Why not?” Matthew asked, studying his red eyes and general appearance.

“I'm albino,” Gilbert said, gesturing vaguely at his face.

“Oh.” Matthew kept studying him. It was fascinating how similar humans were to apollonians. Gilbert stared back, just as fascinated. With Ivan constantly watching Alfred, he couldn't really get close enough to examine and study him, or ask questions that may be a bit too personal.

“Hey, what were those pills you took?” Gilbert asked, without thinking it through.

Matthew's brow furrowed. “How did you know I've been taking pills?”

“Um.” Gilbert scrambled for an explanation that wouldn't make him sound like a stalker. “I saw you. I mean-”

“You were _watching_ me?” Matthew took several steps back, grabbing Kumajiro off of the bed. He hugged his Friend close, “How- _why_? That's so creepy. Why would you do that?”

“No- no, wait. I didn't mean it like that,” Gilbert tensed, his shoulders rising and his palms up, “Tony picked up your signal, I needed to find out where it was coming from, which turned out to be, you know- you _._ I didn't watch, only for a like minute, and I just _happened_ to see you take a pill. That's how we even found out you were on Earth.”

Matthew relaxed by a fraction. It was a reasonable enough explanation. And Alfred said he should trust him, not that he had much choice at this point. “It was contact medication. Apollonians need physical contact to survive, but that's not always available or wanted, so there's treatments that can act as a substitute.”

Gilbert spreads his arms a little wider, smiling to try and ease the tension. “You can hug me instead now, if you want.”

Matthew stared at him for a moment, then moved forward to hug him. “Thanks. For helping Al, and keeping him safe.”

“Not a problem,” Gilbert said, returning the embrace, “you aliens are pretty awesome. I always thought the fictional ones were cool, but you guys are so much better.”

“You're kinda weird,” Matthew mumbled.

Gilbert snorted, smirking, “says the alien.”

“I'm only the alien in this case, because I'm the one on a foreign planet. If we were on my planet, _you'd_ be the alien.”

“This is true.”

Matthew pulled away and sighed. “So. What do we do now?”

“Now,” Gilbert said, “we pack you up and head to New York.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Gilbert found a Matthew :)
> 
> Thanks for comments and kudos! <3


	18. Reuniting

The sun always set so early during the winter. Gilbert had both hands on the steering wheel, driving below the speed limit in the falling snow and darkness. Matthew sat in the seat next to him, watching out the window. They were surrounded by trees on either side of the road, and shiny dots occasionally made an appearance, animals peeking out from the brush and between trunks. Gilbert kept himself alert, should any of them decide to jump out into the road suddenly.

Gilbert had sent Ivan a text just before they left, letting him know they'd be there in around six hours. Matthew had to call his boss at the bookstore and inform him that, despite having only worked there a few days, a family emergency required him to quit. They packed up what little Matthew had, put everything in the back seat, and took off. They had both gotten a little nervous at the border, Matthew having to pass with Alfred's passport, and made it through fine. Now they were in the far north of New York, on their way to Albany.

Matthew bit his bottom lip, narrowing his eyes at the side mirror. “That car has been following us for the past several kilometers.”

Gilbert glanced at the rear view mirror, “I noticed.” A sleek black car, much like Ivan's, except that the windows were tinted dark enough that Gilbert couldn't see who was inside. They had passed several turns that the car could have gotten off at, and yet they remained behind them. He wondered for how long, he hadn't noticed the consistent presence until around ten minutes ago. He glanced at Kumajiro and Tony, both in Matthew's lap. “Any way to turn those things off? Just in case.”

“Yeah.” Matthew pressed a button in Kumajiro's ear. He tried to find Tony's off button, but Gilbert hadn't put everything back correctly. “What did you do this thing?”

“ _I_ was trying to fix it,” Gilbert said, “you can blame Ivan for breaking it. Smashed it when some military men almost got to your brother by tracking its signal.”

“Oh.” Matthew unhooked the yellow bird still hanging from Kumajiro's ear and tried to attach it to the inside of Tony's mouth. The connector cable's end was different. “What...”

Gilbert glanced at him. “Yeah, I had to change that so I could hook it up to my computer.”

Matthew gave Tony a rather disgruntled look. He'd have to shut it off completely, now that he couldn't hook up the scrambler. It took a moment to locate the button. Gilbert kept glancing back at the car behind them. They kept a good amount of distance, which made him even more suspicious. He purposefully took an unnecessary turn to see if they would follow.

They did.

Another turn, and again they followed.

He'd always heard the third time was the charm. And for the third time, they made the same turn he did. Gilbert grit his teeth, his hands tightening on the steering wheel. Shit, he'd never _actually_ been followed before. There had been times he thought he was being tailed, but it always turned out to be nothing but his own paranoia.

“What are you going to do?” Matthew asked, lingering on the mirror before looking at Gilbert.

“Uh. Awesome question.”

“What do you think they want?”

“You, maybe? I don't know. Maybe they're just tracking Ivan's plate number.” And it _was_ Ivan's car, which gave him an idea. “You got your seatbelt on, right?”

“Yeah...why?” Matthew asked, suspicion lacing his voice.

Gilbert grabbed his phone and brought up Ivan's number, the call being picked up quickly.

“Yes?”

“Report your car stolen.”

“Excuse me?” Ivan hissed.

“Just do it! I'll explain later.” Gilbert hung up and dumped his phone into the cup holder. “Matt, hold to something.” Gilbert put the car in four-wheel drive and floored the gas pedal. Matthew let out a startled yelp, pressing himself into his seat as the car jolted forward.

The tires caught for a moment, slipping, and Gilbert having to correct their course until they were going straight and driving smoothly. Gilbert tried to keep on a straight path, only slowing down slightly for curves. The car behind them was almost lost in the distance before attempting to catch up, the driver being far more careful on the slick, snow coated roads. Gilbert barely let up before making a sharp turn onto a back road. He had to calculate this accurately, how long to keep speeding and how when to stop. If he kept it up for too long, their chance of attracting police attention would increase.

He debated on whether or not to ask Matthew to keep an eye on the other car. If they got in an accident, he'd be more likely to get injured if he was twisted around. Gilbert had to focus on the road ahead of them more than anything else, and there were the mirrors. He changed a glance in the rear view. The headlights behind them were dots in the distance that Gilbert still considered too close. Either their car couldn't go as fast, or whoever was driving was not accustomed to the amount of snow.

“D-do we have to go so fast?” Matthew asked, clinging to whatever he could. His eyes were wide and glued to the headlight lit scenery rushing past. “Wheels and snow at high speeds tend to not mix very well. Especially when it's dark.”

“We do, if we wanna lose them.”

Gilbert made another sharp turn, his heart pounding as the left side tires momentarily almost lifted off the road. He could see the soft glow of small town coming up and kept going. There was a turn off onto a narrow side road, next to the first set of buildings, and he took it, the other car's headlights disappearing momentarily. He found a secluded place behind one of the buildings, a back parking lot, and slammed on the breaks. Matthew squeaked, his seatbelt locking as he was sent jolting forward.

Gilbert grabbed everything from the back, the key from the ignition, and hopped out. Matthew followed, stumbling on his legs, unsteady from the adrenaline. Gilbert grabbed his wrist to tug him along as he ran, bolting for a dark alley between two buildings. Matthew stood behind him, hugging Tony and Kumajiro tightly, while Gilbert peeked around the corner. His heart was still pounding, a strange taste settling on his tongue as he calmed down.

The car that been chasing them pulled in slowly, coming to a cautious stop by Ivan's car. Canadian license plates. Gilbert flattened himself against the wall and looked the numbers up on an app on his phone. It was registered to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Two people came out and inspected Ivan's car.

“Fuck,” he mumbled under his breath. If the FBI was following Ivan's car, they had to know _something_ was up.

“Gilbert?” Matthew shuffled closer until their shoulders touched.

Gilbert sucked in a calming breath and let it out slowly. “We're need to find a bus.” He kept a hold of Matthew's wrist while they walked through town, always making sure to place himself between him and any strangers.

* * *

Alfred sat on the bed, a blanket wrapped tightly around him and pulled up over his head like a hood. Ivan was next to him, lying awake and with Sputnik curled up by his neck. Gilbert had called earlier to explain his and Matthew's situation. Ivan was, to no small degree, upset. He had ranted in Russian for a while, Alfred staring at him with wondering eyes. His car was in some currently unknown location, Matthew was with Gilbert whom Ivan had decided was entirely irresponsible, and Alfred was now a mess of strung out nerves and anxiety.

Ivan could feel it, a soft _knowing_ in the back of his mind and in his solar plexus. The effect of Alfred's bonding. He reached out, gently tugging whatever part of Alfred he had managed to grab -he couldn't tell, but it felt like an elbow- until the alien complied and laid down. Ivan gathered him up, blanket cocoon an all, and ran a hand over his hair. Ivan himself had calmed down a while ago, knowing he needed to for Alfred.

“Relax. They will be here soon.” Ivan was only guessing, he knew Alfred knew that. Still, he wanted to do _something_ to ease his mind. Alfred only sighed, the sound closer to a wheezy, deflating balloon, and wiggled closer to Ivan's chest.

Ivan twisted him arm around, reaching back to snag his phone and see if there was any new word from Gilbert.

_From: Gilbert B.  
Found a bus, on our way. Be there by eleven._

_Sent: 1 hour(s) ago_

Ivan tucked the phone between his pillow and the headboard. “They will be here in a few hours.”

Alfred sat up abruptly, letting out something between a gasp and a squeak, his hair sticking up at angles Ivan silently accused of defying physics. Rather than the information calming Alfred, as he had hoped, or even exciting him, there was a sharp spike in the anxiety and worry.

Ivan scrubbed a hand over his face and sat up, his own hair a descent mess. He had a plan, something he had been forming since the day before when Alfred said he wanted a date. Hopefully, that would help relax him for a while. Ivan wanted to at least give him that, a few hours of stress-free whatever before Matthew's big arrival.

“Are the bus drivers good drivers?” Alfred asked, not paying attention to Ivan getting ready for the day. “There's a lot of snow, and it's all icy and slippery. What if-” he gasped, the air catching in his throat, “what if they get in an accident? Or they _do_ get caught by the FBI people? What if they're _caught right now,_ and we have to rescue them! How would we ever find out? Ivan!”

Yeah, he really needed to distract him until they arrived. Ivan sat up and left a kiss on Alfred's cheek, “stay here a moment, I have a surprise for you.” Alfred's eyes filled with questions and curiosity, watching Ivan leave the room and close the door behind himself.

Ivan mildly felt like a child. This was what children _did_ , after all, with the except parents and babysitters. But this was also for Alfred, who was had a rather playful, childlike endearment to him.

Ivan took four chairs from the kitchen table and set them up in square behind the couch. He got a spare sheet from the closet and draped them over the chairs in a way that left a slit opening. Every pillow was stuffed inside, along with the blanket from the bed. Alfred had questioned him as to what he was doing, but Ivan only held a finger to his lips and left again without a word. For light, he brought ran a string of Christmas lights around the bottom, the plug snaking to an outlet in the nearby wall.

Once he deemed the fort comfortable enough, he set books of fairy tales inside. Traditional Russian folk tales, Scandinavian stories, the Brothers Grimm, _Alice in Wonderland_ . Even an old, beat up _Wizard of Oz_ someone had given him after he first moved to New York. They wouldn't have time to read it all, of course, and Alfred probably wouldn't find _every_ story interesting. The point was to get Alfred to stop worrying for a while, and Ivan was sure this would do the trick.

Lastly, for late dinner, he got a bowl of strawberries and some whipped cream. Not really a meal, but at least Alfred would be eating something. With how frazzled his nerves were, Ivan didn't want to give him something too heavy on his stomach.

He returned to the bedroom to collect his alien, letting him remain in his blanket and bring Mr. Whale. When he saw what Ivan had constructed, he examined it closely and all around, circling it curiously before peeking inside.

“The chairs!” Alfred crawled on hands and knees over the pillows, only sitting once he was at the back. He fingered one of the tiny bulbs, inspecting the whole inside. Ivan sat near the entrance, watching for a reaction. Alfred seem rather impressed, so far, and Ivan felt a little proud of himself.

“You said you wanted a date,” he said. “Do you like our fort?”

Alfred grinned and nodded eagerly, his cowlick bobbing. Ivan settled among the pillows, resting on his elbow. He felt silly. Alfred looked happy, the small space bringing him a sense of security. He snuggled down next to Ivan and they ate their strawberries and cream. Ivan read to him, Alfred read a few himself, and neither were sure of how long they remained in there. The bowl was empty, nothing left but green leaves and stems, and the sticky remnants of whipped cream.

“Which is your favorite?” Ivan asked. They had ended up on their stomachs, Ivan with an arm around Alfred as he held their latest book open. Alfred had Mr. Whale tucked under his arm.

“This one,” Alfred said, tapping the pages. _Alice in Wonderland_. They were about half way done.

“You've already decided that?” Ivan asked, an amused smile playing on his lips. “We haven't even finished.”

“Yeah. But she gets to go home, right?”

Ivan's smile faltered. “Yes. She goes home.”

He shut the book and set it aside, trying to ignore Alfred's pout. He tightened his hold around him, nuzzling into his neck lightly. “What about stories from your planet?”

Alfred hummed, recalling several. “I know! This one's called _The Candle Maker's Candles_. Are you ready?”

“Ready,” Ivan said.

“There was once an old candle maker who lived in the very far north, where it was dark and cold most of the year. He kept to himself, even though he was lonely and wished for a companion. So, he carved a tiny person out of a candle, and set it on the shelf above his bed. One night, he couldn't sleep and lit the person candle for some light. It came to life, and he was happy to finally have someone to talk to. But the candle was a candle, and it began to melt. The candle maker tried to keep his person alive by reshaping it as it got smaller, until there was no more wax left and the little candle person was snuffed out for good.

The candle maker was very sad about this, so he tried to make another with a bigger candle, but the same thing happened. Even the candle maker couldn't stop candles from melting. He cried each time, sad that he couldn't keep his friends, and the Stars heard him. They sent one of their own down to live as an Apollonian, and be friends with the candle maker. The Star really liked being with him, and so it stayed with candle maker until he grew old and passed away.”

Ivan was intrigued by the story, as he was by most things Alfred told him about his planet. When it seemed Alfred had finished, he asked, “what happened to the Star?”

“It went back to the sky,” Alfred said, “without the candle maker, it had no reason to remain on Apollonia.”

“Hm.” Ivan kissed Alfred's ear. “Moya zvezda.”

Alfred turned his head and Ivan kissed him, softly at first and then nudged his shoulder to roll him onto his back. He pressed, easily prying Alfred's lips open and felt the now familiar tingling. Hands roamed, mapping out chests and shoulders and hardened biceps. Ivan used one hand to pull up Alfred's shirt, wanting to see his sun marks, and Alfred lifted himself to let him tug it off. They barely pulled away enough for air. Ivan supported himself with one arm, while the other hand slid up Alfred's back, the pads of his fingers pressing along his spine. Alfred purred, sending vibrations into Ivan's mouth, and tangled his fingers in platinum hair.

Ivan moved down, pressing kisses to Alfred's jaw, his neck and down his collar. When he reached the glowing blue sun on Alfred's chest, he mumbled, “moya solnishka.” Alfred was squirming under his hands, short and shivery little purrs emanating from his throat. Ivan's teasing breath and kisses on his marks felt amazing.

“Ivan,” Alfred's voice was laced with a purr, his hands weakly tugging at the back of Ivan's shirt. Ivan moved back up, connecting their lips and slipping his tongue into Alfred's mouth, eliciting another excited purr. He was content with this for now. Just kisses and caresses. Alfred seemed determined to remove Ivan's shirt, however clumsy his fingers may be.

There was something incredible about the way Alfred's skin felt, in every dip and contour of his chest, the protrusion of his collarbones, the pulse in his neck. He was so _soft and warm_ . His stomach- one wouldn't think he was so strong by simply looking, but Ivan could _feel_ hardened muscles under his skin. And there was something amazing in simply knowing Alfred was a being from another planet, another solar system, galaxy, somewhere remarkably far away. Holding him felt like holding a constellation in his hands.

It wasn't to last, though, as Ivan's phone vibrated. He growled to himself, pulling away from his alien and pulling it out of his pocket.

_From: Gilbert B.  
About an hour away now._

“What is it?” Alfred asked. The glow in his eyes was fading, lids half closed as he laid there, hands besides his head and all of his sun marks showing. It was a very nice image, and one Ivan unfortunately had to ignore. For now.

“They will be here within the hour.”

Alfred sat up swiftly, his eyes going wide. “Really?”

“That is what Gilbert said.” Excitement and anxiety buzzed in the back of Ivan's mind, in the core of his chest. Better than this earlier, when Alfred had been nothing but a bundle of nerves. “We should clean this up before they get here.”

“Aw~” Alfred gently pet a wall of their fort. “I think Mattie would like this. It's all cozy in here. We should sleep in here tonight!”

“Alfred, every pillow in the house is in here. And my blanket.”

“All four of us.”

“No.”

Alfred pouted at him. “Fine. Me, Mattie, and Gil will have all the fun. You can take your pillow, and use the blanket from the guest room.”

Ivan sat up and pulled Alfred closer, until their noses were almost touching. A wry smirk spread on his face, “you think I am going to let you sleep in a small area with Beilschmidt?”

“Oh~ I forgot that's a _thing_ with humans.” Alfred could feel the possessiveness in Ivan. It sent a shiver up his spine, one he liked quite a bit.

“It is, and I would appreciate it if you would refrain from sharing a bed with other people.”

“What about Mattie?”

“Family is fine.”

“Okay.” Alfred scrambled out of the fort, exclaiming, “they're almost here! Mattie's gonna be here. Ivan, you're gonna meet Mattie!”

“I know,” Ivan crawled out with Alfred's shirt and stood, watching Alfred pace rapidly around the living room. He was bursting with energy now, and Ivan wondered if he'd be able to sleep later. “Alfred, you need to put your shirt on.”

They spent the hour preparing for Matthew and Gilbert's arrival, cleaning up whatever needed cleaning, making up the guest room, setting out some snacks in case they were hungry. Alfred insisted they leave up the fort for him and Matthew to use. The air was thick, Alfred both anxious and excited. Ivan couldn't do much to calm him at that point, other than hold his hand as they waited.

Four slow knocks, as they'd planned so they would know for sure that it was Gilbert. Ivan opened the door and there stood the albino with Matthew. The biggest grin Ivan had ever seen stretched across Alfred's face, and Matthew's eyes widened.

“Al!” He raced forward, throwing his arms around Alfred's neck and tumbling both of them to the floor. He began speaking rapidly in their language. “ _I missed you so much- you're so dumb, you know you're not supposed to do test flights! Everyone thought you were dead!_ ” They were finally together again, and he could _feel_ him and _hug_ him, and Matthew never wanted to let Alfred out of his sight again.

Alfred laughed, his eyes starting tear up, and hugged him back just as tight, “ _I'm okay, I'm okay! I'm so happy you're here._ ”

“ _Don't ever disappear on me like that again!_ ”

“ _I won't, I promise_.”

“Beilschmidt,” Ivan said as he closed the door behind him, a tight smile on his lips. Gilbert tried to laugh off Ivan's intense glare. He only succeeded in sounding nervous. “You are very, _very_ lucky you did not cause an accident. Did you think at all about Matthew? He could have been hurt.”

“He's exactly who I was thinking about,” Gilbert shot back, “those people would have followed us until we stopped somewhere, and then they would have been all over him. It was the best thing to do.”

Ivan was about to comment on how irresponsible speeding like that was, that he could have lost them another way, when Alfred grabbed his arm. He looked down at him, his eyes softening. “What is it, Alfred?”

Alfred bounced on his heels, one hand holding onto Matthew's sleeve while the other had Ivan's. “Ivan, this is my brother, Matthew. Matthew, this is my human, Ivan.”

Ivan forced himself to forget his car problem for the moment and smiled politely, holding out his hand. “Hello, Matthew. It is nice to finally meet you. Alfred speaks of you often.”

“Nice to meet you, too, Ivan,” Matthew said, eying his hand. What was he going to do with it?

Alfred whispered in his ear, “you're supposed to shake it.”

“Oh!” Matthew grabbed his fingers and shook. Gilbert snickered while Ivan patiently corrected his grip. Matthew smiled sheepishly, “sorry...”

“It is fine.”

Matthew gave a small nod, glancing from Ivan to Alfred. What had he meant by 'his human?'

Alfred stooped and picked up a  fluffy, gray cat that had been meowing for introduction. “This is Sputnik. She's really nice, too.”

“Nice to meet you, Sputnik,” Matthew scratched behind her ear and she mewed, pressing into the touch. There was something else, something greatly important Matthew needed to do, before anything else. He took Kumajiro from Gilbert and grabbed Alfred's hand. “We need a private room.”

“Oh, um. The guest room!” Alfred let Sputnik jump out of his arms to the floor.

“We'll be back in a moment.” Matthew tugged Alfred along, Alfred telling him to go down the hall and through which door. He instructed Alfred to take off his clothes -except his underwear- and sit on the bed. Matthew unzipped Kumajiro's back and took out his first aide kit, containing several small tools for a quick physical. He needed to make sure Alfred was healthy and eating properly, and that his crash hadn't caused any kind of major injuries. And if it did, that they'd healed properly. He set everything out on the bed and stood in front of Alfred. Ever since he'd left the main ship to find Alfred, he'd been planning to do check on his health. A quick examine, the basics to make sure he was at least well enough for the trip back to the main ship.

“How are you feeling?” Matthew asked.

“Good.”

“What about when you crashed? Did you break anything, any major injuries?”

“I had a lot of bruises and cuts, and a big gash on my chest. No broken bones. And I'm all healed now.”

“Have you been drinking enough water?”

“Yep!”

“Eating healthy, not too many sweets?”

“Not many sweets. Ivan is pretty big on healthy eating.”

“Good.” Matthew used a small light to check Alfred' pupil dilation, and a device that looked like small binoculars to check the glow of his eyes. They were very healthy.

“He's got a funny idea of salad, though. Who puts something like mayo in a salad?”

Matthew pulled back with a frown. Alfred's eyes had started glowing brighter when he talked about Ivan. He decided to ignore it for now, planning to look more into it later. He checked Alfred's shoulder joints, his ribs, the alignment of his neck and spine. Alfred tried not to giggle as the light touches tickled him. Everything was fine there. “Lay down.”

Alfred did as told, stretching himself out on the bed. Matthew pressed at his stomach, checking his muscles and organs. He took out his stethoscope and checked his heartbeat. Strong as ever. “Sit up and let me see your sun marks.” Alfred sat back up and made them light up bright. Matthew nodded approvingly, looking them over. They were all glowing healthily. He let out a relieved breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and smiled. “You're perfectly healthy.”

Alfred smiled, his marks vanishing beneath his skin. “That's good to know.”

There was a knock at the door and it opened, Ivan peering in. “Is everything alright?”

“We're fine!” Alfred bounced over to him, “Mattie was doing his doctor stuff, like a check up to make sure I'm all healthy.”

“And?” Ivan looked up at Matthew.

“He's fine.” Matthew wasn't sure what to make of Ivan. He seemed...intimidating, but he and Alfred seemed to care for each other quite a bit.

“You should put your clothes on,” Ivan said to Alfred. He wasn't entirely sure why they'd been taken off in the first place. Probably for his check up.

“Okay,” Alfred padded back over and grabbed his clothes. “Mattie, we should sleep in the fort tonight! Ivan made it, and it's really nice in there. We'll have to take the books out, though.”

Matthew nodded eagerly, wanting to spend some time with just the two of them. “Yeah, that sounds nice.”

It was late, and Matthew and Gilbert were both tired. Alfred was still buzzing with excitement and Ivan with his usual nighttime restlessness. Ivan and Alfred gathered the books and put them back on the shelves, dug out Ivan's blanket and set it back on his bed. Gilbert had flopped onto the guest bed, not even bothering to change or get under the covers. Ivan closed the door after finding him already asleep.

Ivan wanted to at least say goodnight to Alfred, but he was already in the fort with Matthew. Laying in bed by himself felt...different, now. A certain someone was missing. Sputnik curled up on Ivan's lap while he read, hoping he'd be able to sleep tonight. He hadn't realized how accustomed to cuddles and the warmth of another he'd become. It was good, though, that Alfred was spending the night with his brother. He needed to, especially after all they'd been through.

Alfred laid under a blanket with Matthew, facing each other and their left hands clasped together. Kumajiro, Tony, and Mr. Whale were laying around them. They had waited so long to see each other again, and Alfred was telling all about his time on Earth, about Francis and Arthur, working at Kirkland Records, how he met Ivan. He spared no details, and Matthew listened intently, nodding every once in a while to show he was paying attention. He had missed Alfred's rambling chatter more than he'd though he would.

“I can't believe you're really here,” Alfred said after he'd finished, “I was starting to think I'd never see you again.”

“I was really worried, too. But I'm here now, and there's others with a podship. As soon as it's safe, we'll get you home.”

“Yeah.” Alfred glanced down. “Hey...Mattie?”

“What?”

“Mm...I'm gonna miss Ivan. A lot.”

“Well. He has done a lot for you. And you've spent a lot of time with him. Missing him is to be expected, really.”

“Yeah, but...” Alfred sighed. “I don't know. Never mind.” He'd tell him about their relationship another time, once he sorted out his own thoughts on the matter. Matthew was there now, and there were other crew members waiting to pick them up. The thought of be separated from Ivan made his stomach twist and his chest feel tight.

“Everything will work out fine, Al,” Matthew said, squeezing his hand. He wiggled closer, pressing an ear over Alfred's heart. “We'll figure things out in the morning. Just get some sleep, it's been a long day.”

“Yeah...” Alfred wrapped an arm around Matthew and closed his eyes, still thinking about Ivan. He'd hoped to say goodnight to him, but he'd already gone to bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally finished this chapter! I don't know why it was so hard to write, and I'm not sure how much I like it. But here it is.
> 
> Moya zvezda - My star  
> Moya solnishka - My little sun
> 
> Thanks so much for all the lovely kudos and comments! :)


	19. Informing Others

Matthew stood in front of the bathroom mirror. “Should I really be wearing this?”

“You look awesome,” Gilbert said, smiling proudly at his choice in clothes for Matthew. They were some of his own, since they fit and Matthew wasn't sure how he felt about wearing Ivan's. Gilbert's taste was certainly...something. When the issue of Matthew needing clothes came up, Alfred didn't exactly have many to share, and so Gilbert had offered him some. A pair of stitched up jeans, and a white shirt with green sleeves and the word _Alien_ written across the chest.

“Sure, but...is it really a good idea? Branding myself as an alien, right on my chest, where everyone can see?”

“That's the genius of it,” Gilbert said, “it's a dumb move, no one would think you'd  _actually_ display that, and so no one will expect you to be an alien. Play dumber than you really are, and they'll never even look at you.”

Matthew looked at him over his shoulder. “That...sounds like fairly dubious advice.”

Gilbert merely shrugged. “Works for me.”

“I'm sure it does,” Matthew said quietly, facing back to the mirror with a small smile. Gilbert was funny sometimes. He kind of reminded Matthew of Alfred, in some ways.

Gilbert faked a cough. “Besides, it's not like you're leaving the house today.”

“Breakfast!” Alfred called from the kitchen.

He and Ivan had made eggs and toast for everyone. They sat around the table and began to eat, talking in between about plans for the day and the future.

“You marked the map, right?” Gilbert asked.

“I did, although I've yet to contact the few people I know,” Ivan said. He really should do that. With all the stress and excitement of getting Matthew, he'd been a bit distracted. “I will take care of it today.”

“Yeah, do that.”

“Should we be staying here at all?” Matthew asked, “If those government people followed your car, won't they be watching your apartment, too?”

“That is possible...” Ivan said. He felt Alfred's foot bump into his. He didn't like the statement any better, and he could feel the spark of worry in Alfred of where this was going.

“I could take them back to the city with me,” Gilbert said.

Alfred frowned, “I don't wanna be that far from Ivan.” Ivan agreed. If he's been fine staying with Ivan until now, he should still be fine, right? And if something were to happen, he wanted to be able to get to Alfred quickly. They should just stay where they were.

“Well, who else could you two stay with?” Gilbert asked.

“We could ask Arthur and Francis,” Alfred said with a small smile, though it didn't reach his eyes, “they're a lot closer.”

“Do they know about all this?” Matthew asked.

“I've told them, but I think they still don't believe me,” Alfred said.

“How many people have you told?” Matthew asked, frowning.

“Not many...” Alfred mumbled.

“ _Should_ they know?” Gilbert asked, “I think the two of us knowing is enough.” He gestured between himself and Ivan with his fork. Ivan decided to leave out that his sister were informed, as well.

“We can trust them,” Alfred insisted, “I think we should at least ask them.”

“I think you are both fine staying here,” Ivan said, trying not to sound too forceful. “They already know Alfred is here. If we relocate him before going to Europe, it will only make them suspicious.”

“And going to Europe won't?” Matthew asked incredulously.

“They won't have jurisdiction there,” Ivan said, “even if they know where he is, they-”

“Seriously?” Gilbert cut in, giving him a stern look, “you don't think countries talk to each other about this shit? If they really believe there's aliens on the loose on Earth, all they have to do is take it to the UN with whatever proof they have and every world power will be on our asses. You know they have a fucking ambassador for alien contact? No matter what move we make, it has to be under the radar. The best thing, and only depending on their evidence, on our side with going to another country is the time it takes for them to talk over everything.”

“If it's Ivan they're watching, I think it's best if we stay with someone else,” Matthew said, “that way, if we do end going to this Europe place, they'll be too focused on you to see me and Alfred. Not that you'd be a decoy or anything, I just think it would be...safer.”

Ivan sighed, looking over at Alfred. He hated to admit it, but Matthew may be right. “I will talk to Arthur and Francis about this.”

Alfred frowned. “I have work soon, anyway. I'll bring it up.”

Ivan wanted to grab Alfred's hand, his arm. Something. But he knew Alfred hadn't told Matthew about them yet, and he didn't know what would seem suspicious. While a lot of physical contact was normal to them, it wasn't for most humans, and Matthew knew that. It was up to Alfred to tell him.

After breakfast, Alfred got ready for work. Matthew wanted to go with him, but it was cold out and he didn't have a coat. He was left to stay at the apartment with Gilbert and Ivan. Gilbert had convinced his boss to let him work through emails, already having the software and everything else he needed on his computer. Matthew sat next to him on the couch, watching him type in codes and check the progress of the anti-virus program he was constructing.

“This is to block out people you don't want getting into your electronic device?” Matthew asked.

“Yeah,” Gilbert said, “something like that.”

“So, it's like a scrambler?”

Gilbert furrowed his brow, still focusing on his screen. “A what?”

Matthew leaned forward, grabbing the small yellow bird he'd set on the coffee table. The Friends were there, as well, both still turned off. He cradled the small thing in his palm, holding it out for Gilbert to see. “A scrambler. We connect it to Friends to block the signal, incoming and outgoing.”

Gilbert picked it up to get a better look. “Awesome. Do you think it could work for other things?”

“Like what?”

“Cellphones, GPS, that kind of thing.”

“Um. I suppose. I don't know, I've never tried to use it on other things. Since we'll be keeping the Friends off, you can keep it, if you'd like. I'm sure you could get more use out of it than us.”

“Really?” Gilbert raised his brow, “you sure?”

Matthew nodded, smiling a little. “Yeah. See what you can do with it.”

Gilbert grinned. “Awesome, thanks. Do you name it like the, uh, Friends?”

Matthew shook his head, “no. You can if you want, of course.”

Gilbert squinted at it, holding it up higher. “I dub thee...Gilbird!”

Matthew blinked at him and then giggled. “Gilbird? Really?”

Gilbert pouted at him, “what? It's an awesome name.”

“You said it so dramatically,” Matthew continued, poking fun.

Gilbert huffed and looked away, “I was naming my awesome new friend. Of course it was dramatic.” Matthew giggled harder, leaning forward a little, and Gilbert smiled as he watched him. He liked Matthew's laugh. It was airy and light.

Ivan was in his room, on the phone. Had been almost all morning, ever since Alfred left for work. First he called Yekaterina, then Natalia, asking both if they'd be able alright with a quick visit in the near future. They both excitedly agreed, Natalia a little less so when Ivan informed her that he'd be bringing Alfred and two other friends with him. Yekaterina gushed that he'd be just in time to help set up the nursery, and detailed how her pregnancy was progressing. And then Ivan had to call Toris about his family house -supposedly empty most of the time- and if he'd be able to stay there for a while, should he need to. Ivan wasn't sure how long they'd have to stay in Europe.

What if they had to move there? Ivan wouldn't mind living in Russia again. Alfred might get cold, but he'd keep him inside, warm by a crackling fire. Somewhere secluded, just the two of them. Or three, now, considering Matthew. They could play in the snow while Ivan chopped wood and then they'd go in for warm drinks. And when Ivan was done with work or when Matthew went to bed, Ivan could have Alfred to himself for a little while. Could they be happy like that?

“The family house?” Toris asked, and Ivan knew he was probably tilting his head to the side. He always did when he was confused. “It is empty, but...why would you need it?”

“I may be going on a trip to Europe soon,” Ivan explained. It would be fine to leave out the details. “I'll be bringing some friends, and we would need a place to stay. If that is alright with you.”

“I suppose. I don't see why not,” Toris said, a gentle smile in his voice, “to be honest, I had been thinking of visiting myself, soon.”

“We wouldn't mind if you were there,” Ivan said. Would they? If something happened...Toris would be completely out of the loop. That might be a good thing, though. The less he knew and all that. As long as they stayed under the radar, everything should be fine.

“Oh, ah. If I do go, Felix might be with me. I'm not sure yet. He said something about his grandmother in Poland, or...something. You know how he is.”

“I'm aware. Thank you, Toris, that was all I needed.”

“Mm-hm. I wanted to ask you how your new book is coming?”

They spoke for a while about work related things, Ivan's books and how Felix already had a cover design in mind. Raivis was waiting for new chapters to translate, and Ivan promised he'd have them to him soon. When they hung up, Ivan glanced at the clock. Alfred wouldn't be home for another few hours.

* * *

The back room of Kirkland Records was small, just big enough for a table and four chairs, a mini fridge and a sink. There were some boxes stacked around, full of records and CD's that were waiting for one reason or another to be put on the shelves.

The three that worked there were on lunch break, the store being closed for the next half hour. Alfred had frowned when he opened his backpack and noticed he'd forgotten to pack a lunch. Ivan usually helped him make something, since he was still unused to Earth ingredients and cooking methods, but it had slipped both of their minds with the previous day's events. When Arthur noticed, he'd gone out and returned with McDonald's, much to Francis' annoyance. He would never understand how the Brit could eat such junk. Hamburgers certainly made Alfred happy, though.

Arthur leaned back in his chair, his ankle propped on the opposite knee. “I don't usually go for McDonald's, but it's cheap and not too awful tasting.”

Francis snorted. “You only think that because your taste buds are dead after years of your atrocious cooking attempts.”

“Fuck off,” Arthur threw a fry at him, missing by several inches as it landed on the floor. Francis chuckled, picking a tomato chunk out of his salad and popping it into his mouth. They'd clean it up later.

Alfred picked up his hamburger and took a big bite. He hummed happily, smiling as he licked his lip where a bit of sauce had stuck. “I think it's good.”

Arthur smirked smugly, “See, frog? The kid agrees with me.”

Francis sighed almost mournfully, watching Alfred eat his hamburger. Every time Alfred forgot to bring in his own lunch, Arthur would go out and get some fast food for him. He'd never admit that it was really for Alfred's benefit, insisting he'd been planning to anyway and it was simply the gentlemanly thing to do, buying enough for everyone. Except Francis.

Alfred set his half-eaten burger down and picked a fry out of the carton. He watched Arthur dip his own in ketchup before mimicking the action. He enjoyed how sweet and savory everything was, they didn't have food like this back on his planet.

“You said you guys were going to France soon, right?”

“Oui,” Francis answered, smirking, “is someone going to miss us?”

“Actually,” Alfred started, and then launched into a rather long and detailed explanation of how they met Gilbert, Matthew was now on Earth, the FBI were after them, Ivan and Gilbert were keeping them safe, and why they _might_ need to stay with them for a little while. And maybe go to France with them.

Arthur and Francis looked at each other for a moment, silent words passing between them, and then back to Alfred.

“Alfred, love, would you mind if we went home with you today?” Arthur asked, “to speak with Ivan about this.”

Alfred shrugged, sipping his soda, “sure, if you want.” He grinned, “you can meet Mattie and Gil, too. They're staying with us.”

“That will be lovely,” Francis said.

The rest of Alfred's work day went by as usual. They helped people find the music they were looking for, and Arthur fussed over snow getting tracked onto the carpet. Spring needed to hurry up, he claimed, and Alfred found that strange. You couldn't rush a season. They weren't embodied beings.

Near the end of Alfred's shift, Francis informed him that they were closing up early so they could walk home with him. Alfred thought it was nice that they were so concerned over what he'd told them. They never really seemed to believe him about these kinds of things before. On the bus ride, Alfred sat by the window, Arthur and Francis next to him. He told them about Matthew and how nice he was, and how he thought they'd all get along well.

Francis recalled Alfred telling him that he had feelings for Ivan, and thought against bringing it up. Only if Alfred did. Maybe he'd gotten over the little crush. Francis hoped he did. He'd hate for things become awkward for Ivan. Unless Ivan accepted, but...he was more responsible than that, wasn't he?

Alfred led them to the apartment complex, practically skipping down the hall in his eagerness to get home, key in hand.

“Ivan!” Alfred tossed the door open and hurried into the apartment, leaving it open for Arthur and Francis to follow.

Ivan looked up from his desk with wide eyes, watching the two Alfred had brought with him. “Alfred, you are home. With friends you didn't say you were bringing.” He saved his work and stood, receiving the hug Alfred always required when he came home.

Alfred purred, snuggling into Ivan's chest, “they wanted to talk to you about the trip and stuff.”

“Ivan, nice to see you again,” Arthur said, giving a single nod.

“Always a pleasure, Ivan,” Francis said.

“Where's Gilbert and Mattie?” Alfred asked, scanning the living room and kitchen.

“In the guest room, I believe,” Ivan said. “Why don't you go find them?”

“Okay!” Alfred bounded away, eager to greet his brother and friend.

Arthur eyed Ivan for a moment. “He spoke to us today. Something about the FBI, and possibly hiding out in Europe. He said you lot needed to come to France with us?”

Francis smiled softly, “it was quite the story, we were hoping you would be able to clear things up.”

“Ah- what would you like know?” Ivan asked, smoothing his hands down his sweater. He moved to sit at the kitchen table, Arthur and Francis following. The chair seemed to creak louder than necessary as he settled on it, the pending conversation hanging in the air.

“Alfred is...quite set on the idea that he's an alien, isn't he?” Arthur said slowly, picking his words carefully. “And now he's gotten it in his head that the FBI are after him. Both of you, actually.”

“Yes.” There wasn't much of a way to convince them to help. Not without them finding out Alfred had been telling the truth. “And it would be greatly appreciated if you would help us travel across Europe.”

“Wait, wait. Hold on a second,” Arthur leaned forward, his elbows on the table. “You're telling me you believe all of this? His whole story about crashing in some spaceship, being an alien from- from-”

“Apollonia,” Ivan supplied.

“Christ,” Arthur huffed, staring at Ivan in disbelief. He couldn't be serious, could he? “You're supposed to be taking care of him. Not enabling this, whatever this is. The boy needs _help_ , Ivan.”

Ivan shot him a glare, “that is exactly what I-”

“Arthur, Francis!” Alfred came running back down the hall, Matthew in tow as he dragged him along. “This is my brother, Matthew. Mattie, this is Arthur and Francis.”

“Um, hi,” Matthew shuffled his feet, waving awkwardly at the sudden introduction.

“Hello, dear,” Francis offered a small, amused smile. Alfred hadn't mentioned that they were twins.

“Those guys you work for, right? They're here?” Gilbert asked, walking up behind them, and everyone stared at each other for a moment.

“It's okay for us to go to France with you, right?” Alfred asked, hopeful.

“Ah, well-”

“Enough of this nonsense,” Arthur interrupted Francis, the chair's legs scraping against the floorboards as he stood. “Alfred, the FBI are _not_ after you and you _not_ from outer space.”

Alfred frowned, his grip on Matthew's hand tightening. “I am...though...Ivan, tell him.”

“He won't listen to me, Alfred,” Ivan said.

“There's no light in the bathroom, we could stick them in there and shut the light off,” Gilbert said.

“And just what would that prove?” Arthur asked, clearly doubtful. Matthew and Alfred looked at each other, and then headed down the hall. “Where are you two going?”

“Let's just see what this is about, hm?” Francis said, standing calmly to follow them. He was just as skeptical as Arthur, yet still willing to see if and how the boys would prove themselves as aliens.

The bathroom light was already off, and Matthew and Alfred stood inside. Arthur grumbled about how absurd he found the whole idea, and Francis merely shook his head. The man would believe in fairies and unicorns, but he wouldn't give these two boys a chance at being aliens. When the door was shut behind them, Arthur's mouth hung open and Francis' eyes widened.

“That's- but how...?” Arthur stuttered, seeing two pairs of glowing eyes before him, one neon blue and the other a softer lavender. “You're wearing contacts...or something. That's it, isn't it?”

“Even contacts do not glow like that, mon ami,” Francis said quietly.

“I told you, Arthur,” Alfred said, “and we need help.”

They returned to the kitchen table, Arthur unusually silent as they discussed the situation. Matthew brought up his concern for him and Alfred to stay elsewhere while the FBI kept an eye on Ivan. Francis was accepting of the idea, agreed easily to bringing them home with him. When he asked Arthur for his opinion, he received no answer, green eyes narrowed at the table.

“Arthur,” Francis repeated a little louder, finally catching his attention.

“Hm? Sorry, what was that?”

“They need to stay with us for a while, at the house. Is that alright with you?”

“Sure, sure.”

“Arthur.”

“Bloody aliens,” Arthur covered his mouth with a hand, glancing Alfred and Matthew.

“We're, um...not bleeding,” Matthew said, brow scrunched.

“It's slang,” Francis said, “he's just in shock.” He was, too, admittedly, though he was better at hiding it than Arthur.

Under the table, Ivan had a hand on Alfred's thigh. “We need you to be able to keep them safe. We do not have many others we can rely on.”

“We've got other people in Europe, but they don't know the full story,” Gilbert said, “they can't, it's too risky, but Alfred's already told you, so we're just going with what we've got. You guys sure you're okay with this?”

Francis watched Arthur for a moment, the way his lips parted even though he knew he wasn't sure of what to say, and those bushy eyebrows knitting together. “We would like some time to discuss this on our own, if that's okay with you.” Francis himself wanted some time to really wrap his head around everything. As open minded as he tried to be, there were just certain things that took some getting used to.

“Awesome,” Gilbert said flatly. He needed time to get a passport and other papers for Matthew, anyway.

Francis squeezed Arthur's shoulder and stood, “come along, mon petite. Everything will sink in soon.”

“You're leaving?” Alfred asked, frowning.

“Yes, dear, this is a lot to take in and a lot to think about,” Francis smiled gently. “We'll get back to you by tomorrow, we promise.”

“Thank you,” Ivan said, standing to lead them to the door. Their help would be appreciated, even if he didn't like the idea of Alfred staying somewhere else. Away from him.

When he shut the door behind them, he started for the hall. “Gilbert, would you keep Matthew company for a moment? I need to speak with Alfred about something.”

“Uh, sure?”

“What is it?” Alfred asked, hurrying after him into the bedroom. Matthew watched them, wondering what it could be about.

Ivan shut the door and pulled Alfred into his arms. Alfred purred softly and snuggled into him. They both felt uneasy, both disliked the idea of being apart.

“I can keep you safe.” Ivan said. He _would_ keep him safe, no matter what it took.

“I know.”

“I do not think your brother fully trusts me.”

“He will, just give him some time to get to know you.”

“You need to tell him about us.”

Alfred pressed harder against Ivan. “I will...”

Ivan pulled back enough to see Alfred's face. He wouldn't purposefully hide it. Would he? “Do you not want him to know?”

“What- no! That's not- I'll tell him. I'll tell him.” Alfred's grip on Ivan became incredibly tight, nearly suffocating. It made Ivan a little happy to know he was at least thinking about these things. Now that Matthew was there and others were waiting on them, Ivan really wasn't sure where their relationship was heading. He almost wanted to convince Alfred to stay, but that might be dangerous and he'd rather Alfred be safe. Even if that meant leaving Earth. Ivan was sure they could work something out, though. If Alfred _wanted_ to stay, that was...

“Valentine's Day is coming up,” Alfred said. “It's a day that humans celebrate romance. I read about it.”

“Well, yes, for some humans,” Ivan said. It wasn't widely celebrated in Russia, so he'd never participated in it, and he hadn't had a reason to since moving to New York. “We may be somewhere in Europe by that time, and I am not sure how many countries there observe the day.”

“Oh.” Alfred glanced down, looking a little disappointed.

Ivan ran a hand through his hair and gave him a quick kiss. “We can still do something, if you wish.” He'd do anything for him, especially if it earned him a smile and a purr like that.

“Yeah!”

Alfred tilted up, wrapping his arms around Ivan's neck for another kiss, and his sun marks all lit up. Ivan pressed along his spine, against the line of dots her knew were under his shirt. He still had a lot to talk to Alfred about, but it could wait a moment or two.

And that was exactly when the two short knocks sounded before the door opened. “Al, are you-” Matthew stopped at seeing them, his eyes wide and his brow raised.

“Mattie,” Alfred squeaked, too surprised to have moved or think to hide his marks.

“What's going on?” Matthew asked, eyes firmly on his brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alfred and Ivan have been caught red-handed!
> 
> Thank you for all of the awesome reviews and kudos! :)


	20. Sleepovers

Alfred and Matthew shuffled into a decent sized house, four others behind them. Near the end of Alfred's shift, Ivan and Gilbert brought Matthew to Kirkland Records and then everyone headed to Arthur and Francis' house. It was warm and cozy inside, appearing well lived in. The British flag hung proudly in the living room over the couch, a worn kettle sat on the stove. The counter held several thick cookbooks, one specifically for macrons, and a binder full of printed recipes. There was also a cookbook that had been shoved on top of the fridge, a burn mark on the spine. Framed pictures hung along the halls, Arthur and Francis in several and unfamiliar faces in others.

“Welcome to our home,” Francis said, shrugging off his coat. He hung everyone's up in a closet by the front door.

“It's very nice,” Matthew said.

“Thank you,” Francis scanned over his home fondly. It really was a nice place he and Arthur had put together. They had many nice -and some not so nice- memories there.

Alfred was clinging to the sleeve of Ivan's coat. As much as he liked Arthur and Francis, he wanted to stay with Ivan. Especially after Matthew had walked in on them...they still hadn't really talked about it. Alfred had sputtered for a while, Ivan remaining silently unsure of what to do, and Matthew slowly acknowledged that Alfred and Ivan had become romantically involved. He had asked for how long, and Alfred explained that it had happened just before they knew he was on Earth. After that, Matthew simply left the room and Alfred slept in Ivan's bed, feeling too awkward and embarrassed to face his brother.

Their little group had decided that Alfred, Matthew, and Gilbert would stay with Arthur and Francis until their trip to Europe . During that time, Ivan would remain at his apartment to keep anyone potentially watching from getting suspicious of his movements. Of course, he planned to visit frequently to keep updated, and to see Alfred. They would be going to Spain first, Arthur and Francis leaving soon after to meet them in France.

After a few calls and figuring out his built up vacation days, Gilbert had figured out his own schedule. His boss was mostly fine with him working from the computer, so long as he promised to get everything done on time. Gilbert assured that he would, and thanks for being so understanding of his 'family emergency.'

While everyone else moved further into the house to settle in, Alfred and Ivan remained by the door. Alfred nuzzled Ivan's shoulder with a frown.

“It is only a little while,” Ivan reassured, running a hand over golden hair, “and I will be here often.”

“I know,” Alfred said, though he was still pouting.

Ivan tilted his face up to kiss him quickly. “I don't like this anymore than you.”

“Maybe this will be a good chance to talk to Mattie about us,” Alfred said. Not that that was a conversation he was particularly looking forward to.

“Maybe.” There was a lot for all of them to talk about, and it felt as though they were running out of time. “Alfred. I must ask you something.”

“Okay?” Alfred look up at him questioningly.

“Do you-...do you still want to leave Earth?” Ivan waited for a response, Alfred staring at him with those big neon blue eyes. The silence hung heavily, and Ivan found himself having to focus on breathing.

“Do you want me to stay?”

Ivan blinked. What kind of question was that? Of course he did. And then he realized what Alfred was trying to do. He could feel it, his expecting a certain answer.  _Wanting_ a certain answer. If Ivan told him to stay, Alfred would stay. Or, try to. Could Ivan do that, though? Ask him to leave everything he ever knew, his planet and his people, just to be with him?

Would Matthew leave if Alfred stayed? Ivan would imagine not, having come all this way to find him. He didn't see either brother leaving the other. But what would that mean if Matthew really didn't want to stay?

“Come on, you losers!” Gilbert called from somewhere in the dining room.

The three dots down each of Alfred's cheeks lit up slowly, and it almost looked like he was crying. Ivan placed a light kiss on the middle dots, and Alfred made a short, quiet purr. “Everything will be fine, solnishka.” That was what Yekaterina would always say when he was little, and Ivan would be upset about something. She would hold him and say everything would be fine.

“Solnishka...” Alfred mumbled, a light blush on his cheeks as he memorized the word.

Ivan stayed long enough for everything to discuss their current plan, and how long before they would leave for Spain. Aurthur and Francis left for Paris a little over a week, and they'd decided Ivan and Gilbert would take the aliens to Spain two days before then. They wouldn't stay in any one spot for more than two days. The more they moved around, the less chance of being caught by anyone that may be searching for them.

After they were done with planning for the night, Ivan reluctantly left Alfred to head home. He still had to figure out what to do with Sputnik during all of this. While he would feel bad leaving her for potentially a rather long time, it may be best. Plane tickets for animals were very expensive, and it would be rather difficult to care for her while traveling so much. He would probably have to leave her with Yao again, if he was willing to keep her for an undetermined amount of time. He did have that half-brother who -as Yao claimed- was more fond of cats than people. Maybe he would be willing to watch her.

Arthur and Francis went upstairs to start packing for their trip. Aurthur claimed Francis always forgot something or another, and wanted to be thorough this time. Gilbert and Matthew were in the living room, sitting on the large air mattress that had been set up for three of them. Aurthur said they only had one, and none of the three protested sharing. Alfred was in the bathroom, brushing his teeth.

Gilbert unbuttoned his shirt and shrugged it off, grabbing a soft t-shirt out of his backpack to sleep in.

Matthew furrowed his brow and tilted his head, examining the large black bird on Gilbert's back. “What is that?”

Gilbert sat up straight and looked over his shoulder, “what's what?”

Matthew gestured the picture, “that, on your back.”

Gilbert smirked, “my awesome tattoo? It's the eagle on the Prussian flag. You know, when it was still around. Most of my ancestors came from there.”

Matthew's eyes widened and he scooted closer, wanting to see it better, “I've never seen a real tattoo before.”

Gilbert chuckled, “seriously? They don't exist on Apollonia?”

“They do, sort of,” Matthew said, “but they're illegal. I mean, not to have, but the practice of tattooing people is. They didn't used to exist on Apollonia, until this one species made contact and brought the practice with them.”

“Why is it illegal?” Gilbert asked. He honestly couldn't think of a logical reason.

“There's a high risk of the ink affecting our sun marks,” Matthew explained, “which would be toxic and extremely harmful, not to mention painful. They're very sensitive, so we have to be pretty careful with them.”

“What's a sun mark?” Gilbert asked, shifting to face Matthew better.

“Oh- um...” A light blush spread across Matthew's cheeks. How did he explain those to a human? Without showing them, of course. He couldn't do that...the memory of Alfred, all of his marks lit up, standing there with Ivan crossed his mind. Was Ivan really that important to him? “they're these, um, marks -obviously- that glow when we want them to, and they protect us from things like UV radiation and overheating.”

“Awesome,” Gilbert smirked, looking him up and down for where they might be, “can I see?”

Matthew huffed, his blush darkening, “no! They're sacred. And private. And you're not allowed to see.”

“Aw, come on,” Gilbert leaned a little closer, “not even for the sake of science? One species getting to a know another.” He winked and Matthew was not at all sure of what to do with himself, his face now quite red and hot.

Socked feet padded down the hall, and the Alfred appeared in the doorway, “Mattie, are you ready for bed? I'm not that sleepy yet.”

“Actually, I need to talk to you!” Matthew jumped up and rushed over, grabbing his arm before tugging him down the hall. Gilbert snickered, watching him.

Matthew pulled Alfred into the dining room and they sat on the floor, in a far corner. “We need to talk about you. And Ivan.”

“Oh...” Alfred curled up against the wall, pressing his knees to his chest. “What about us?”

“You know what, Alfred,” Matthew said. “You showed him your sun marks, and you were kissing. You said you two are together. I mean- why? Were you really that sure of being stuck on Earth forever?”

“No...I just like him, a lot, and I wanted him to know that. And then it turned out that he felt the same way, so we...you know-” Alfred made a rolling gesture.

“You've had  _sex_ with him?!” Matthew asked in harsh whisper.

“What-  _no_ ! We haven't done  _that_ yet-”

“ _Yet_ ?” Matthew gaped at him, “as in you're planning on it?”

“No- I mean, I've thought about it- but it's we've talked about it or anything, so-” Alfred pressed his face to his knees, silently fuming in embarrassment. “Besides, he's human and I don't know it would work, anyway. I don't know what his parts look like.”

Matthew snorted. His brother always did get so skittish when it came to talking about sex. “Okay, so you two aren't that serious.”

Alfred shrugged. “I don't know...I think he wants me to stay on Earth, but he won't say it.” He wanted to stay with Ivan, too, but he also had to think about Matthew and their home.

“Does he love you?” Matthew asked quietly, studying Alfred's eyes.

Alfred's brow raised. “He hasn't said that either, but...maybe? Sometimes it feels like it, but I can't tell.”

“ _That's_ what that is,” Matthew leaned closer, examining the strong glow in Alfred's eyes, “you've started bonding with him. He isn't here, though, and humans don't do that, so...” He left Kumajiro and all of his medical equipment in the living room with Gilbert.

“Yeah, and it's really throwing me off,” Alfred pushed his fingers under his glasses to rub his eyes.

Matthew bit his lip, “how do your eyes feel? They looked fine when I checked them.”

“They feel fine,” Alfred said, “it's just, like. Weird? It doesn't  _feel_ weird, just kinda off, you know? Like, I know it's not happening the way it's supposed to, but my body is still trying go through the process anyway.”

Matthew nodded. There were a few reports he'd read of Apollonians living with someone of another species, though not many. None of them had any problems, as far as bonding went, so he didn't think it was something to be concerned about. “Well, you seem fine for now. Just tell me if there's any changes, okay? Even if doesn't seem like something big or important, I still want you to tell me.”

“Okay.”

Matthew paused a moment before asking, “do you love him?”

Alfred glanced at him. “I think so...”

Matthew sighed, shaking his head and smiling softly. “You would fall in love with an alien on a foreign planet, wouldn't you?”

Alfred giggled a little, smirking. “I don't wanna hear it. I know you think Gil is cute.”

Matthew huffed, looking away. “I admit to no such thing.”

“Mm-hm. Doesn't mean aren't thinking it.”

Matthew elbowed Alfred in the side, and his smile faded. “You know we still have to go home. Right? Even if you don't want to, we still have to. We can't live on a planet where people are constantly trying to hunt us down.”

Alfred swallowed thickly. Could they? He missed home. And if he went back, he would start missing Ivan. A lot. The podships only held four people, and with two already on board and himself and Matthew...it was a pointless thought. He doubted Ivan would be willing to leave Earth. “He said he could keep me safe. We're stronger than they are, and we blend in.”

“I know, but it's too dangerous to stay here.” Matthew nuzzled his temple against Alfred's cheek, “I'm sorry.”

Alfred frowned. “Let's just go to bed now.”

* * *

“Francis, there are half naked aliens running around our house!” Aurthur shouted from the bottom of the stairs.

“Oh, how fun,” Francis closed the door to the laundry room, a basket of fresh clothes tucked against his hip. He passed the living room, taking the laundry upstairs.

“Is that really all you are going to say about this?”

Francis stopped at the top step to reply. “Mon ami, you know how I feel about these things, you really shouldn't be complaining about it still.” With that, he disappeared down the hall.

Aurthur huffed and turned to the living room. Alfred and Matthew had just gotten out of the bath, and it was Gilbert's turn to shower. They had put pants on, but started a pillow fight before they got to shirts.

“Put the bloody pillows down before you break something!” Aurthur grabbed the one Alfred had raised and ready to swipe Matthew with, Matthew having taken cover behind the couch.

“Aw~” Alfred whined, letting Aurthur have the pillow.

“Both of you finish getting dressed,” Aurthur said, “and no more of this running around like children. We're all adults, are we not?”

Alfred stuck his tongue out at him, “spoil sport.”

Aurthur rolled his eyes, “I suppose not, then. Honestly, how does Ivan handle you?”

“With lots of hugs and a fury roommate.”

“A cat does not count as a- you know what? Never mind,” Aurthur shook his head. “Just put your shirts on already.” He turned on his heel to go to the kitchen, feeling the need for a cup of tea.

Matthew giggled from behind the couch and then got up to get a shirt. He threw Alfred his striped sweater and wiggled into a gray long-sleeved shirt Gilbert had loaned him. They wouldn't have much to do that day. When Gilbert got out of the bathroom, he started on contacting Antonio about Matthew's passport, at the least, and if he could do a rush job. Alfred and Matthew explored the upstairs and the laundry room, and settled back in the living room when Aurthur turned on a movie for them to watch. If only to keep in one spot for more than a minute. He even popped some popcorn for them.

That turned out to not be the best idea when, afterwards, Alfred decided to make a miniature Wall-E out of 'spare' things he found in a kitchen drawer and a cut up cereal box. He planned on giving it to Ivan. Francis was just glad he found their old cellphones rather than the ones they were currently using. Well, they'd been meaning to recycle those anyway. And it was rather impressive, he had to admit.

Matthew spent most of his time watching human biology programs on the science channel. It was fascinating to see the similarities and differences between their species. Until Gilbert brought up wanting to see his sun marks again, and Matthew hit him with a pillow. Where did Alfred go, anyway?

Alfred was tucked away in a corner of the laundry room, between the drier and the wall. He had his cellphone and pressed at the dial pad. It rang several times before the other end was picked up.

“Alfred? Is everything alright?”

“Ivan! Yeah, everything is fine. I just wanted to talk to you.”

Ivan smiled softly and put him on speaker. He set the phone next to his laptop so he could work while they talked. “About what, solnishka?”

A big, goofy smile spread on Alfred's face at the pet name. “I don't know. Mattie and Gil are watching some biology stuff. I made Wall-E for you!”

Ivan furrowed his brow, eyes focused on the keyboard and screen in front of him. “You made what?”

“Wall-E. We watched that movie today, about the little robot that saves all the space humans with a plant in a shoe and his special robot friend. I liked it, it was cute. Except- do you think autopilot systems could really take over like that?”

“It was just a movie, Alfred.”

“Right, but do think they could?”

Ivan chuckled. “Probably not. Unless someone programmed it to do so, and there was no emergency override system. But even then, human hackers could probably take it down.”

“What about Apollonian hackers?”

“I am sure they could, as well.”

Alfred smiled, biting his thumbnail. “I missed sleeping with you last night. Gil stole all the blankets, and Mattie was all tangled up in them, so they both ended up on the far end of the mattress. I was kinda cold...”

“I am sorry to hear that. I- um. I missed you, as well. And I am sure Sputnik did, too.”

Alfred sighed, leaning his head against the wall. He wished they didn't have to stay with Aurthur and Francis. He liked Ivan's apartment better. It was warm and familiar, and Ivan and Sputnik were there. He didn't particularly care for their situation at all. Hiding and running, and the uncertainty of their relationship.

“Ivan...”

“Yes?”

“I wanna be with you.”

Ivan stared at his phone for a moment, frowning. Sputnik mewed at him from the floor. “I know. Me, too.”

Alfred squirmed in his spot. “When are you coming over?”

“I am not sure, yet. Soon. I still have to pack, and make sure everything it ready for the trip.”

“What if I get on a bus and come see you?”

Ivan glanced at the window. The FBI were probably out there somewhere. Ever since he'd gotten his car 'stolen,' they had been watching him more and more. “Don't. I need you to stay there, Alfred. It is only a few days.”

“Okay. They'll be boring days, but okay.”

Ivan smiled softly again. “Thank you. I am sure you will have fun with Matthew and Gilbert for company.”

“Yeah, but I want you.”

Ivan rubbed his chest. He could feel how much Alfred disliked being apart from him, and he was sure Alfred could feel his own unease as well. Maybe that was why he'd called in the first place.

“I-” _I love you_. He wanted to say it. He hadn't openly thought it yet, but he had felt it for a while. The words nailed themselves to back of his throat and refuse to surface.

“What?”

“Be good.”

Alfred drew shapes on the wall with his finger. “Okay.”

“I should go now. I have to wrap up work and other things,” Ivan said.

“Okay.”

“Go spend some time with Matthew. I will see you soon.”

“Okay. See you soon.” The call ended and Alfred sat there for a moment. Back home, he had a few friends and a career. He and Matthew shared a nice apartment in the city. On Earth, he had Ivan and some new friends. He liked Earth. It wasn't home, but he liked it. And humans considered him young, college aged. He liked being an engineer, but there were other things he could do. Or maybe he could help humans advance their space travel, disguised as one of them. The thought made Alfred smile. It sounded fun, being an undercover alien working for NASA or SpaceX, whichever.

He wouldn't mind starting over again, if it meant being with Ivan. It was more a matter of what Matthew would want, what he would say or do...Alfred didn't think he could choose between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry these have been coming so slowly lately. I've been having awful writer's block. I think it's going away, though, so that's good.
> 
> Thanks for comments and kudos!


	21. Traveling With Your Alien

Ivan wanted to sleep. It was early, so early it wasn't even light out yet. The night before, he had packed up Sputnik and left her with Yao, feeling guilty for leaving her for potentially a long time. He made sure to pack some catnip in with her supplies. That morning, Ivan had to get up almost two hours before they were supposed to be at the airport in order to arrive on time. He met Alfred, Matthew, and Gilbert there and all of them were now boarded and seated on the plane. Their carry-on bags were stowed away over head, and the flight attendants would be starting the routine safety briefing soon.

They had all decided it was best for Ivan to meet the rest of them at the airport, Aurthur and Francis dropping off Alfred, Matthew, and Gilbert. It had been the right choice, after all, when Ivan noticed he was followed by the FBI agents that had been watching his apartment over the last week. They didn't follow him inside the airport, as far as he knew, and Francis drove Ivan's car back to his and Aurthur's house. _That_ , they probably did notice, and Ivan was supposed to call Francis once they were settled in at Antonio's to find out if the agents made any kind of move.

At least they were on the plane now. Next to Ivan, by the window, was Alfred. In front of them was Matthew and Gilbert. Alfred was grinning, full of far more excitement than Ivan was willing to deal with at the moment. He kept going on and on about the crafting of the plane, wondering what the engineering of it was like. At one point, Matthew had to convince him not to try getting into the cockpit to see the piloting area. He was mostly stopped by Ivan grabbing him before he could make his escape and refusing to let go. Alfred had pouted but sat back in his seat when the seatbelt light turned on with a _ding_.

Two flight attendants stood at the front of the plane, smiling through their obvious exhaustion. They cheerily began to detail flight safety and what the passengers needed to do, when, and how.

No smoking on the plane. Please put your seatbelt on, and remain seated until the light turns off. Do not get up for any reason during takeoff. If there is an emergency, an attendant will take care of it. Please turn off your phones, or set them to airplane mode. Emergency exists are there, there, and there. Oxygen masks are overhead, should anyone need them, and here is how to put them on. Cue demonstration. Thank you, and have a nice flight.

Alfred buzzed with anticipation, watching out the window. People were crawling off of the plane's wings and engines after making some last minute preparations. Ivan made sure Alfred's seatbelt was tight enough, giving it a good tug.

The engines started humming and soon, the tarmac outside was beginning to go by faster and faster until they were in the air. There was a small amount of turbulence and then they were flying smoothly. Alfred and Matthew both had their faces pressed to the windows, Gilbert peering over Matthew's shoulder. They could see the lights of cities far below, passing under them. Ivan shifted to get a look, leaning on Alfred's side. It was pretty, and it made him wonder what it would be like to view the Earth from space firsthand.

“Have you seen this before?” He asked quietly.

“Sort of,” Alfred said, “before my crash, I could see a bunch of lights all over the Earth. This is different, though, since we're a lot closer than low Earth orbit.”

Ivan hummed. He still wanted to sleep.

* * *

The touchdown was almost as smooth as the flight. They landed at an international airport in Madrid and would need to get a taxi that would take them to Antonio's farm in the southern countryside. Ivan had to make a quick currency exchange, just enough to split the cab fare with Gilbert. Gilbert had said Antonio would have food for them, and they wouldn't need a hotel. The less Ivan had to use his bank account, the less anyone would be able to track him.

It was a little over a five hour drive from Madrid to Almeria. They had to switch cabs a few times to get there and it was a tiring ride, but they finally made it. Gilbert sat up front, being the only one that spoke even a small amount of Spanish and could speak with their drivers if need be. Alfred kept using his glasses to translate and attempt a conversation with them.

One driver kept laughing at him and saying, “eres divertido.” _You're funny_ , and Alfred smiled at making him laugh, even if it was because his pronunciation was awful.

“We're here,” Gilbert announced just as the car slowed, coming to a stop in front of a long dirt driveway. A rickety mailbox stood off to the side, and at the end of the drive was a white house with red tiled roof and arched windows.

Gilbert stretched his arms up over his head, soaking up the warm sun. “Man, I haven't been here in fucking forever.” He hitched his bag higher up on his shoulder and started down the dirt path.

From behind the house, they could see a large area for crops, mostly tomatoes Gilbert had told them, and a red barn with a fence branching off. A bull and a few cows roamed around, lazily eating grass. The door of the house was brown with simple black details. The whole place felt peaceful, even with the chill in the air and the thin layer of frost on the ground.

When they reached the door, Gilbert pounded on it loudly, and Ivan wondered if that was really necessary. Then again, it was somewhat of a big house. Was it just Antonio that lived there?

After a moment, the door swung open and a man -Antonio, Ivan guessed- stood on the other side, grinning widely. He had sparkling green eyes and dark hair, his skin tanned from working under the sun.

“Hola, mi amigo!” He threw his arms around Gilbert's neck, hugging him tight and patting his back. “Es beuno verte.”

“Si tú tambien,” Gilbert said, hugging him back.

Antonio pulled away, grinning at everyone else. “And you must Gilbert's friends. Por favor, come in, come in.” He stepped away from the door to let them inside, the front door leading to the kitchen.

“I am Ivan. Thank you for letting us stay here,” Ivan said, offering his hand.

“Oh, it's not a problem at all,” Antonio said, shaking it vigorously, “I don't usually get people like you, but if Gilbert says you really need the help, then I trust him.”

“Ah, okay?” Ivan furrowed his brow, unsure of what he meant.

“And you two must be Alfred and Matthew,” Antonio turned to them, still smiling, “I made your passports. It's great to meet you.”

“It's nice meet you, too,” Matthew said.

“Yeah, nice to meet you!” Alfred said.

“Alright, so, I hope you don't mind but I only have two open rooms for you. I figured you'd want to figure out your own arrangements as far as who's sharing with who,” Antonio said, “I'll show you upstairs and you can settle in. Dinner starts at six.”

“Thank you,” Ivan said with a nod.

“Really, man, it's awesome of you to do this for us,” Gilbert said, smiling appreciatively.

“No problema, Gilbert,” Antonio said, giving a slightly concerned glance.

The stairs were near the back of kitchen, behind a wall. An archway led to the dining room attached to the living room. Upstairs was a narrow hallway with several doors on either side. Antonio pointed out the bathroom, his own room, a room belonging to someone named Lovino, and three spare rooms.

“I like to leave at least one open, just in case,” Antonio said, as though that explained something, and then left them to finish up a few chores.

“Gilbert,” Ivan said, staring down the hall a moment before turning to him, “what exactly does Antonio do here?”

Gilbert peeked into one of the bedrooms. “I thought I told you-? Dibs on this one!” He bounced in and set his bag on the foot of the bed. “This is like a, uh. A shelter house, I guess you could call it. He helps people get out of shitty situations. Mostly mothers or teenagers trying to escape abusive homes, but he takes in other people, too. They stay here until they find somewhere else to go, or get back on their feet.”

“Oh.” Now it made sense. So many extra rooms, making false identities. At least it was for a good purpose.

Matthew glanced at Alfred and tugged on his sleeve. “I'll take this room with Gil, and you can stay with Ivan?”

Alfred stared at him for a moment. “You sure?”

“Well, I doubt Ivan's gonna want to share a bed with Gil, and I'd rather he didn't mistake me for you when he's half asleep”

Alfred snorted, laughing. “Yeah, that probably wouldn't turn out too well.” He nuzzled Matthew's cheek and then turned to Ivan. “Ivan, we can take the room across from this one!”

“Oh, alright,” Ivan stepped into the room Alfred wanted, “and what about Matthew?”

“I'll stay with Gilbert,” Matthew said, looking into his temporary room just as Gilbert flopped backwards onto the bed.

“Very well.” Ivan entered the other room set his bag down by the bed. Alfred followed, closing the door with his foot, and set down his backpack and Tony next to Ivan's. While they were staying with Aurthur, he stitched Tony up, effectively replacing Gilbert's haphazard safety pinning. It almost looked good as new. Almost.

Ivan grabbed Alfred's hand, pulling him closer. “Is Matthew really okay with this arrangement?”

“He says he is,” Alfred said, leaning against Ivan and wrapping his arms around his waist.

“Good.” Ivan pulled him even closer and bumped against the bed, letting them fall onto the mattress.

Alfred giggled, landing half on top of him. He purred, squirming to get more comfortable.

“We should discuss certain...things,” Ivan said, staring at the ceiling. There had been a lot on his mind lately. About Alfred and what they would do if he stayed, what _he_ would do if Alfred _didn't_ stay.

He hadn't realized how much he'd been expecting Alfred to a part of his future. Ivan had always imagined getting a house somewhere secluded, once he could afford it. Just him and Sputnik, and his sisters would visit a few times year. But now there was this little alien that had turned his life upside down, and he didn't know if Alfred would want those things, too.

A house and cats and family visits.

What if Alfred wanted children someday? How would they explain to their adopted kids that their daddy was from another planet. It wouldn't be right to hide something like that. That was, assuming Alfred's species worked like humans as far as reproduction went. With seahorses, it was the males that became pregnant and carried the babies. He couldn't get Alfred pregnant, could he? That would be...concerning, to say the least. That is, if Alfred wanted that kind of intimacy with him. It was always possible that he didn't, which would be just as fine with Ivan. He could live without sex. There were other ways to be intimate.

Alfred looked up at him, “like what, Ivan?”

“Huh?” Ivan craned his neck to look down at him, having been lost in his own thoughts.

Alfred huffed, rolling off to the side so he could see him better, “you said you wanted to talk, but when I asked 'what,' you didn't answer.”

“Oh. Sorry. I was...thinking. About the future, and us. You...you can't become pregnant, can you?”

Alfred snorted, giggling, “what? No. Why?” His cheeks tinged a light pink, “were you...I mean, do you want to...do the squish dance?”

Ivan had to press his lips together so he didn't laugh. “What?”

“You know,” Alfred said and wiggled his hips.

“Have sex,” Ivan stated, noting the pretty pink darkening as it spread to the tips of Alfred's ears. Ivan sat up and loomed over him, supporting himself with a hand on the mattress. “Are you really so squeamish about that?”

“No!” Alfred looked away.

Teasing, Ivan reached up with his free hand to tug at a belt loop on Alfred's jeans. “You've never been shy about being naked, so why this?”

“Because that's all... _stuff_! And naked isn't- it's when people start _touching_ that it gets all-” Alfred huffed and rolled onto his stomach, his back facing Ivan.

“Intimate,” Ivan smirked, pressing closer so his breath swept over Alfred's ear.

Alfred shivered, his face red. “And private! Is this what you wanted to talk about?”

Ivan pulled away a little to sit up straighter. “Mm, part of it, I suppose. But there are other things, as well.”

“Like what?” Alfred peeked over his shoulder.

Ivan pulled Alfred upright and rested him against his chest. “What we will do if you stay. You would need to pick a career, you may want to get a degree. You would have to pick a school, and that may require moving somewhere.” Anywhere. Wherever Alfred wanted to do or go, Ivan would be with him. He would keep him safe and happy. As long as he stayed on Earth.

Alfred hummed. “Do we really have to think about that right now?” He leaned up to press kisses along Ivan's jaw. He didn't want to think about all of that. All of the 'if's' and 'what could be's,' an uncertain future. He readjusted himself to straddle Ivan's lap and moved down his neck, pulling the scarf out of his way. “Lets do something else. We've barely gotten any time together in over a week.”

Ivan snorted, letting Alfred do as he pleased, “You can't survive that long without me?”

Alfred slowed to a stop at the crook of Ivan's neck, leaning against him. He survived. He didn't _like it_ , but he could do it. And going home...he could do that, too. If he had to.

Ivan felt Alfred's grip on his shirt tightening, his mood growing dimmer and dimmer the longer he remained quiet. Ivan rubbed his back slowly, holding him. “You need to decide, Alfred.”

“Not right now...I will. Just not right now.”

“Okay.” Ivan kissed his hair and they sat there, unmoving, for a long while. He could feel the swirl of emotions in Alfred. Fear of what would happen, anxiety over what to do, hope for what _could_ happen. And something so warm, it made Ivan's breath catch in his throat. For Matthew and everyone Alfred had met on Earth. And for Ivan. The same thing Ivan felt for Alfred.

A bang on the door made Ivan tighten his hold on Alfred. “Yes?”

It opened and a young man stood there. He had murky green eyes, and auburn hair with a strange curl at the part. He stared at them with an irritated sort of indifference. “Cena.”

“Ah...sorry, I don't speak-”

The man sighed and rolled his eyes. “Joder. Uh...go eat.”

“Oh,” Ivan nodded, “we will be down in a minute.”

The man eyed him and gave a curt nod, and then he was gone, leaving the door open. He must have been the Lovino, Antonio had mentioned earlier. He went to Gilbert and Matthew's room, a little more polite with Gilbert than he had been with Ivan. Probably because he spoke Spanish, or maybe because they knew each other.

Ivan noticed Matthew casting glances at them from across the hall. Alfred was still on his lap, and Ivan felt a strong urge to cradle him and whisper in his ear, if only to show Matthew that Alfred was _his_ now. But being possessive would probably not go over too well with Matthew.

“It's time for dinner,” Ivan said softly, gently pushing on Alfred to make him stand up. The scent of something involving tomato sauce and spices wafted up from the kitchen.

Once the four made it downstairs, they found Antonio sitting on the counter, picking vine remnants off of a tomato. A basket of them sat next to him. He looked up at them and smiled, “ah, sorry, I guess I sent Lovi up there a bit early. The lasagna is still in the oven. It should only be a few more minutes, though.”

“Smells awesome!” Gilbert said, grinning as he tried to peek into the oven.

“Gracias. Here, have a seat,” Antonio gestured to the small table at the center of the room. Flour was dusted over it in spots, and marks from kitchen knives littered the surface.

“Gilbert says this is a shelter house,” Ivan said, taking a seat on one of the stools.

Antonio smiled softly, a hint of pride for his work showing. “It is. You four are the only ones I'm expecting for now, though, so no worries.”

“What about Lovino?” Matthew asked, spotting him outside the front window.

Antonio's expression turned almost wistful as he glanced at the young man outside. Lovino was moving planks of wood that would later be used to fix the fence. “He was one of those people, a few years ago, though his situation was different. He moved here just to spend some time away from home, got in a fight with the wrong person. Ended up with assault charges. I heard about Lovino from a friend of mine on the police force, and offered a deal. He stays here for house arrest, sort of like, ah- community service. He works on my farm, instead of spending that time in a jail cell. He accepted and when that was over, he was too embarrassed to return to his family. So I allowed him to continue living here, provided he keeps helping with the work, and he's been here ever since.”

“He still hasn't gone to see his family?” Alfred asked.

“Oh, no, he has,” Antonio answered. “He's gone back to Italy several times since then, but he still chooses to stay here. I don't mind, you know? It's fun having someone else around, and helps out a lot. He had a lot of anger -still does- but I think the country air has mellowed him out some. He's how I met Gilbert, actually. His little brother, Feliciano, lives in the same apartment building, just down the hall.”

Gilbert tilted back in his chair, smirking. “Ah, Feli. He needs to learn how to be more careful with his computer.”

Antonio chuckled, “you had to fix it for him _again_?”

Gilbert shrugged, “hey, I get free food out of it, so I'm not complaining.”

The door opened and slammed shut as Lovino came inside. “Movi' la madera.”

“Gracias, Lovi,” Antonio said.

The oven beeped, signaling the lasagna was done, and Antonio asked Lovino to set the table. Gilbert got up to help when Lovino asked how Feliciano was doing, and soon everyone was seated for dinner.

* * *

Jet lag had always been a problem for Ivan. Being five hours ahead of his accustomed time zone, he didn't fall asleep until early morning and woke up much later than intended. When his eyes finally did peel open, it from Alfred cooing at him to 'wake up, sleepyhead!'

Ivan grunted and shifted onto his back, rubbing his palms into his eyes. “Vremya?”

“Um~” Alfred read a translation on his glasses. Time. “A little past noon.” He tugged on Ivan's arm, trying to get him to sit up. “Get up, already! I've been waiting forever.”

“Why?” Ivan asked, sounding rather grumpy

Alfred pouted at him, crossing his arms over his chest. “It's February fourteenth. I _was_ gonna bring you breakfast in bed, but _someone_ didn't wake up on time.” He gave Ivan a very pointed look over his glasses.

Ivan pushed the blankets off to sit up and saw the tray near the foot of the bed. It held a mug of coffee and two spoons. “I didn't know...” Right. Alfred had been looking forward to Valentines Day.

“Antonio made the coffee, and he helped me with oatmeal. I put it in the fridge since you were still sleeping.”

“Alf-”

“I'll go get it!” Alfred practically jumped off the bed, making the coffee slosh over the side of the mug, and ran out of the room.

Ivan sighed, running a hand through his messy hair. He would have to come up with a plan for the day. He didn't want Alfred to be disappointed. What could they do, though? He didn't know anything about the area they were in, and he didn't think leaving Antonio's property would be a good idea. Ivan leaned over to grab the coffee. It was lukewarm by now, and very strong. It was still good, though.

Within a few moments, Alfred returned, carefully carrying two blue ceramic bowls. Steam drifted up from the oatmeal inside. He wiggled onto the bed, settling beside Ivan, who pulled up the tray for him. Alfred set the bowls down and picked up a spoon.

“I put raisins in mine,” he said, “and milk in yours. I remembered how you like it.”

“Thank you,” Ivan said, mixing around his oatmeal with the other spoon. “Where are Matthew and Gilbert?”

“Antonio is giving them a tour of the farm,” Alfred said around a mouthful. “I thought maybe we could explore by ourselves after we eat. It's a pretty big area.”

“That would be nice.” It seemed Alfred had made plans on his own. From what little Ivan had seen, it looked like a beautiful piece of land.

Once they'd finished their oatmeal, they got dressed and went outside. The sun was warm, taking the bite out of the chilly air, and the sky was dotted with fluffy clouds. Alfred laced their fingers together, gazing around curiously as they walked. There were no other houses as far as they could see, the only other structure being the small barn. There was the rickety fence, and rows of tomato vines that would remain barren until late spring.

It was strange to think they were really in Spain. It was still strange for Ivan to think he was really dating an alien, but there Alfred was. And there they were. Because they had to get away from the FBI. Hopefully they would be safe, and hopefully they wouldn't have to hide for too long. Just long enough for them to give up looking, or stop being so suspicious. Or maybe he and Alfred and Matthew could find somewhere secluded to live, private and hidden away. And Gilbert could visit or something. Matthew seemed to like him, and Alfred considered him a friend. Ivan could tolerate him, he wasn't _quite_ as annoying as when they'd first met.

Or Alfred and Matthew would leave and everything would just be...over.

Alfred felt Ivan's fingers press harder into his hand and the sudden swell of hurt. It wasn't hard to guess what he was thinking about, given the previous day's conversation. Ivan looked over at Alfred, at neon blue eyes and the sprinkle of freckles underneath. Those three words were still stuck in his throat. He wanted to say them, but should he? If Alfred left, it would only make it hurt more. Especially if he heard them spoken back to him.

“Ivan-?” Ivan cut him off with a kiss, moving his lips slowly. He slid his arms around Alfred's waist, pulling him as close as he could. He didn't think he'd ever been so attached to someone, or so afraid to lose them.

“Get a room!” Gilbert's voice shouted from somewhere not too far away.

Alfred pulled back, licking his lips as a pink blush stained his cheeks, and Ivan glared at Gilbert. He was walking up to them with Matthew, Antonio, and Lovino.

“Can you stop making out where people can walk in you?” Matthew asked.

“Stop walking in on where people are making out,” Alfred countered. “Besides, people can walk in anywhere. Even bedrooms.” Matthew rolled his eyes, knowing the previous occurrence _was_ his own fault.

Antonio chuckled, smiling like he always was, “no, it's Valentine's Day, amor is in the air! Let the love birds be.” Lovino made a pained groan, glaring at him. Antonio laughed, patting his back, and knowing all he understood was 'amor' and 'Valentine's Day.' It was enough for Lovino to get the gist of what they were talking about, and he wanted no part of it.

“Valentine's Day?” Matthew asked Gilbert, keeping his voice low.

Gilbert smirked, “yeah, you didn't know? We celebrate by kissing people.”

Matthew narrowed his eyes, not fully believing him, “kiss who, specifically?”

“Well, you can start with me, if you want. It is an Earthly tradition, after all.”

“Mm-hm. I think I'll skip out on this one.” Matthew ignored Gilbert's pout, a smirk of his own playing on his lips. From the way Antonio spoke of it, it sounded like a holiday for romantic partners. He frowned, looking over at Ivan and Alfred. He knew it was going to break Alfred's heart when it came time to leave, and he desperately wished he could do something about it.

For now, he'd decided to just let them spend as much time as they could together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Antonio is such a sweetie, I love him! And sorry if any of the Spanish is incorrect, I only speak a very small amount of the language.
> 
> Hola, mi amigo! Es bueno verte. - Hello, my friend! It's good to see you.  
> Si tú tambien. - Yeah, you too.  
> Por favor. - Please.  
> No problema. - No problem.  
> Cena. - Dinner.  
> Joder - Commonly used like 'fuck,' but it doesn't have an exact translation. It depends on the context.  
> Gracias. - Thank you.  
> Movi' la madera. - I moved the wood. *thank you to MangoWOW for the correction.*  
> Amor. - Love.
> 
> Thanks for comments and kudos, they're super appreciated!


	22. Confessions in France

“You guys all packed up?” Antonio asked, glancing over at Ivan setting his and Alfred's bags by the door.

Ivan nodded, “I believe so.”

He had set an alarm on his phone to make sure he woke up on time. It wasn't as early as when they'd gotten on the plane, but early enough that the night's chill still clung to the air and birds chirped as they hunted for breakfast. The sunrise filtered into the house, bright and energizing.

“Lovi just has to finish up in the barn and we'll get the car packed up.” Antonio said. He grabbed his keys off the counter and started for the door. “I'll bring it around so it's ready.”

Alfred and Matthew both yawned, coming down the stairs with Gilbert behind them. Gilbert had his backpack and laptop bag, and Matthew had his own bag and Kumajiro.

Once Lovino returned from the barn, Antonio told him to look after the house and they stowed the bags in the car's trunk. Antonio would be driving them to the nearest train station, and then they would be on their way to Paris, France. Gilbert already had a Eurail pass, Alfred had enough money to get one for himself and Matthew, and Ivan got himself one.

They piled into the car and Lovino watched them leave from the door. Antonio kept a firm grip on the steering wheel, casting sideways glances at Gilbert in the passenger seat.

“Are you sure everything is everything fine, Gilbert?” Antonio asked, “you needing to stay here, traveling Europe...you aren't in some kind of trouble, are you?”

Gilbert smiled and winked at him, “nothing I can't handle.”

Antonio shot him a doubtful look but didn't press the issue. He turned on the radio, the car ride mostly silent from then on. He was worried about Gilbert, but if he didn't want to talk, then Antonio knew wasn't going to get any straight answers.

The nearest train station was in Valencia, the platform open and bustling with people. Antonio walked with them to their stop, where they would wait for the train. It wouldn't be there for another ten minutes.

Antonio lightly smacked Gilbert's arm. “Be careful, okay?”

“I will.” Gilbert hugged him, patting back roughly, and then let go. Antonio said goodbye to Alfred and Matthew, receiving warm hugs from both, and shook Ivan's hand. He wished them a safe trip and was on his way, needing to get back home.

“Alfred, please-” Ivan held onto the back of Alfred's coat as he peered over the edge of the platform, down at the tracks.

“What's it made out of?” Alfred asked. He wanted to crouch down for a better look, but Ivan's grip wouldn't let him.

“Iron, I believe. Or metal, I am not sure,” Ivan answered quickly. “Please, Alfred, away from the tracks.” It would be too easy for him to trip and fall, and if the train was early...Ivan tugged Alfred a safe distance away, behind the bright yellow safety line. Alfred wandered, Ivan's hand acting as a leash, fascinated by his new surroundings. Matthew gazed around also, sticking close to Gilbert. There were a few small places to eat and spend time waiting for trains. People mulled around, checking phones or reading books, parents attempting to contain restless children.

An voice sounded through speakers hanging from support beams, announcing that their train would be arriving shortly. It spoke first in Spanish, then repeated itself in a myriad of other languages. The train itself was long and a sleek, shiny silver. Alfred's eyes went wide in amazement and Ivan knew he'd have to keep a close eye on him. Like on the plane, he put Alfred in the window seat so he could block him from the aisle and passing people. Gilbert and Matthew sat in the row in front of them, Gilbert showing Matthew some game on his phone.

The first train ride was a little over three hours. Ivan occupied Alfred by putting Tetris and a train mechanics manual on his phone. Once in Barcelona, they had to switch trains quickly, and then it was a direct, six and a half hour route to Paris.

The new train was similar to the first, all sleek and silver. They showed their tickets to the conductor and boarded, shuffling along the narrow halls to find a good compartment. Several were already taken, and they chose one near the end of the car. Ivan slid the door shut and locked it, and then turned to stow his bags overhead with the others'. The inside of the compartment was spacious enough for the four of them, able to seat at least six altogether.

The seats were blue and comfortably plush, and wide enough that Ivan was able to stretch out for a nap. Alfred was sitting on the opposite bench with Gilbert and Matthew. Ivan's eyes slid closed easily. The door was locked, they were fine to rest for now.

When Ivan opened his eyes again, he saw Gilbert slumped against the wall, Matthew cuddled against his chest, as they both slept. He grunted softly, sitting up, and rolled his neck and shoulders to work out kinks.

And then he noticed that the door was wide open. With no Alfred in sight.

Ivan shot to his feet, poking his head out, peering down the hall. “Alfred,” he called in a harsh whisper, but received no answer.

He quickly slipped out, sliding the door closed behind him, and took off down the hall. He sneaked glances into the other compartments, none of them holding his alien. Ivan's heart thrummed the longer he had to search, the back of his neck stinging with a cold burn. They weren't safe enough. What if some agent or something was following them? What if Alfred said the wrong thing to the wrong person? Or someone lied to him, said they needed help with something, and tried to hurt him.

Ivan passed through one commercial car, eyes scanning over passengers frantically, and then moved to the next. The dining car, and _there_ was Alfred, sitting at the bar as he chattered away with some strange man. A strange man who's eyes were roaming a little too much.

Ivan kept quiet as he marched up to them, Alfred's back facing him. Simultaneously, he snaked an arm around Alfred's waist and slammed a hand on the bar's counter top. Alfred yelped, gripping Ivan's sleeve to yank his arm off until he recognized the voice growling in his ear.

“You ran off, moye solnishko.”

The other man frowned, sitting up straighter as he eyed Ivan mistrustfully. “Is everything alright?” His voice was laced with a heavy French accent.

“Fine,” Alfred chirped, smiling brightly as he snuggled back into Ivan. “This is my boyfriend.”

“Oh...”

Ivan tightened his grip around Alfred's waist, “da, and we are going back to our compartment now.”

He slid Alfred to his feet and pulled him away, Alfred saying goodbye and waving to the stranger behind him. Instead of their compartment, though, Ivan opened the door to a bathroom and pushed Alfred inside, locking the it behind himself.

“What-?” Alfred turned around to face Ivan as best as he could.

It was a tight fit with the two of them. Ivan pressed close to Alfred, palms on the wall on either side of his head, and glared into neon blue eyes. “Do not _ever_ do that again.”

Alfred glared back, “I'm allowed to talk to people-”

“Not that,” Ivan cut in, “ _disappearing_ . You- I couldn't _find you_ and-” Scared. It scared him. So much. Ivan wrapped him in a tight embrace, squeezing Alfred flush against himself.

“I'm sorry...” Alfred mumbled into his coat. “Everyone was asleep and I wanted to explore.”

“Wake me up next time.”

“Okay. Okay!”

“What were you even talking about with that man?”

“He was telling me about some places to eat in France.”

Ivan huffed, but said no more on the matter. As long as the man wasn't asking about Alfred's personal life, or what he was doing in Europe. He unlocked the door and they returned to their compartment. Matthew and Gilbert were still asleep. Alfred went to sit by the window, shoving it open. Wind blasted by, the sound of the train's wheels chugging over the tracks filling the small room. Open and empty countryside blew passed, mountains in the distance. Ivan sat next to Alfred, close enough that their thighs touched and their feet bumped each other.

Alfred's hair rustled in the cool breeze and he shivered, sliding the window closed again. “Too cold.” He snuggled against Ivan for the rest of the ride.

* * *

Paris. Ivan had been there once before, during a summer vacation when he had some time off. Why not travel? His big sister said it would be good for him to go out and explore the world while he was still young. Ivan enjoyed Paris, it was a nice enough city. He had explored some famous bookshops and libraries and a little farmers market. It had been bit crowded the last time he was there, summer being a big tourist season for many places. Now, with it being late winter, it was a little less so.

It was snowing lightly, a bite in the air, and people walked around with their hands in their coat pockets. Alfred and Matthew huddled together for warmth as they left the train station. They were supposed to meet Aurthur and Francis under the Eiffel Tower. They should be right on time, or somewhere close.

“Wow!” And Alfred took off, tugging Matthew with him.

“What got him all excited?” Gilbert asked, raising a brow.

“That,” Ivan gestured to the Eiffel Tower, one of human engineering's greatest achievements, as far as architecture went. As long as Alfred stayed within sight, Ivan didn't mind him running off to inspect. He and Gilbert stopped near one of the tower's feet, watching Alfred and Matthew look it up and down.

“It's so cool,” Alfred said. He balanced himself with a hand on the foot's base, craning his neck back to look all the way up. His eyes followed the lattice work, all the way up to the structure's underbelly.

“Is there anything inside?” Matthew asked, glancing back at Ivan and Gilbert.

“There are restaurants on the first and second floors, I think,” Ivan said, “and a radio tower at the very top.”

“Oooh~” Alfred's eyes shone with appreciation. He really loved all forms of engineering.

“Impressive, no?” All four turned to see Francis and Aurthur approaching.

“Francis! Aurthur!” Alfred ran over and hugged both of them, encircling an arm around each. When he pulled back, he said, “this thing is so big!”

Gilbert snickered, “you talking about the tower or your boyfriend?”

Ivan elbowed him sharply in the ribs and Gilbert clutched his side, coughing and wincing. Matthew's cheeks burned and Alfred chose to ignore them.

Francis laughed lightly and Aurthur rolled his eyes at all of them. “Let's go, the apartment isn't far from here.”

“Apartment?” Ivan asked. They began to follow, Francis leading the way.

“We're renting it for our stay,” he said, “it's a nice place. Has a good view of the city. I had originally rented a different one, but managed other arrangements once we'd agreed the four of you would be joining us.”

It about a block away from the Eiffel Tower, on the third floor of a large, gray brick building. The interior decorating was chic while still holding an old fashioned feel to it, with a balcony outside glass double doors. It had a wrought iron railing and two chairs with a small table. There were two sections to the overall apartment. It was more like two smashed into one. Two bedrooms and a bathroom on one end, the same on the other end, and the kitchen and living room in-between.

Aurthur, Francis, and Gilbert would be on one end -Aurthur griping at Francis keep his hands to himself- while Ivan, Alfred, and Matthew would be on the other. Since it was late, they all stowed their bags in the room and Francis got to work on making dinner.

“Would you like help?” Ivan asked, eying the ingredients Francis was setting on the island counter to try and figure out what he was making. Matthew was with him, reading over the recipes they would making together.

Francis shook his head, smiling almost apologetically. “Non, I am giving Matthew a lesson. And, after living with Aurthur's attempts to, em, 'help,' I've found I prefer working with few others in the kitchen.”

“We're making a vegetable stir fry with honeyed chicken,” Matthew said, a smile on his face and eyes still glued to the recipe in hand.

“Alright.” Ivan figured he would only interfere with the lesson, anyway, if Francis' attention was split between the two of them.

So, he decided to get some work done, if only so Toris wouldn't ask where the new chapters were. Out in the living room, Gilbert had set up his Netflix account on the TV, though its control had been snatched by Aurthur and Alfred. After a strangely heated discussion about aliens in pop culture, Aurthur demanded he be allowed to introduce Alfred to Doctor Who. He started with the original first season, all black and white and grainy film. Ivan could hear it playing from his room, with his door open. And Alfred's dramatically loud, fake snoring. Followed by Aurthur yelling at him to not be so rude. And then an even more heated debate about which was better: Superman or The Doctor.

“It's so _old_!”

“Superman is older!”

Ivan couldn't help but giggle at all of the noise. It wasn't too long before Francis and Matthew announced that dinner was ready, and everything felt oddly relaxed despite what they were actually doing in France.

A while after dinner, Alfred flopped onto the bed next to Ivan, face down and eyes peeking up at him. Ivan had taken a break only to eat and clean his dishes, finding himself a little caught up in his story. Alfred wiggled closer. Ivan raised a brow as Alfred squirmed and wriggled around until he successfully maneuvered himself onto Ivan's lap, his back arching awkwardly over a knee.

“Does someone want attention?” Ivan asked, amusement lacing his voice.

“Yeah.”

“And where are Matthew and Gilbert? Aurthur and Francis?”

Alfred pouted at him. “I hung out with them earlier while you were being all antisocial in here. Besides, Mattie and Gil are talking about cyborgs and theoretical person-computer hybrids, and Aurthur and Francis left for the night.”

“They left?”

“Yeah, to see Francis' cousin or something. They won't be back until late.”

Ivan grunted in acknowledgement, absentmindedly rubbing Alfred's stomach under his shirt, typing one-handed. Alfred purred, pressing up into the touch. He grabbed the hem of his shirt, pulling it up in a way that made Ivan wonder if it was intended to be seductive. It got stuck on his glasses and nose, and Ivan had to help him while trying not to laugh at his expense.

“And why did you take your shirt off?” Ivan watched the piece of clothing fall to the floor.

Alfred huffed. “I was trying to be sexy for you!” Ivan giggled, sliding a hand over his mouth. Alfred grumbled, rolling onto his stomach. “Fine. See if you get any tonight!”

Ivan nearly choked on the air. “Is that what you came in here for?”

“No,” Alfred said, voice muffled by the thick blanket he was pressing his face into. “But you were touching me and you mentioned it a few days ago, so I thought maybe...I mean, with Aurthur and Francis gone, and Mattie and Gil on the other side of the apartment...”

No one would be around to hear if they made... _certain noises_. Ivan's eyes swept across the expanse of Alfred's back and up to a mess of golden hair, glasses hanging precariously at the tip of a nose. It was something he had thought about, although not much. More of a curious wondering of how it would work, or if Alfred even wanted to. It seemed he thought Ivan wanted to, which was truthfully somewhere between 'yes' and a neutral 'sure?' If Alfred wanted it, Ivan would gladly indulge him.

Alfred curled himself around Ivan's waist, fingers picking at one end of his scarf. “Ivan.”

“Yes, solnishka?”

Alfred pressed his face into Ivan's hip and all of his sun marks lit up. Ivan shifted him around, sliding an arm under Alfred's neck to support his head, so he was facing him. The sun on Alfred's chest was Ivan's favorite, and he traced each wavy line with the tip of a finger. Alfred purred, long and soft, his eyes sliding closed. The breath he took in next was shaky and his brow pinched, his lips pressing together in a concentrated frown.

Ivan brushed the backs of his fingers over his cheek, “what's wrong?”

Alfred pressed himself against Ivan, curling his arms against torso, as though trying to hide himself. His voice came out so quiet, Ivan wondered if he'd heard him right. “I love you.”

Ivan tightened his hold around him, any thought to respond escaping his mind as the world seemed to slow down. He hadn't been expecting that. He hadn't been expecting Alfred to say it first, or for the words to be so...out of nowhere, catching him off guard. His silence was making Alfred nervous and the alien fidgeted in his arms, the glow of his marks growing dull. Ivan pulled off his scarf, unwinding it, and slipped it around Alfred, wrapping him up in the soft fabric. Ivan bent over him, encasing him with his body.

The words stuck for a moment, in nervous apprehension, before he was able to force them up. “I love you, too.”

Alfred purred, his marks returning to their full glow, and gripped Ivan's shirt in tight fists. Ivan couldn't see his face, but he knew he was grinning. He could feel it, and a happy warmth spreading through the both of them. For the rest of the night, Ivan kept Alfred wrapped in his arms, refusing to let go unless he absolutely had to. They shared kisses through smiles and quiet, repeated whispers of 'I love you' like they'd never be able to say it enough.

* * *

Their second and final day in Paris, Francis insisted they do at least a little sightseeing.

“This city is too beautiful to be visited without appreciation!” He said with a frown when Ivan asked him why they had to leave the apartment.

Ivan made sure Alfred was warm enough, wearing layered shirts and his coat. He also made sure to ask if Matthew was warm enough, though he seemed better at handling the cold than Alfred was. Once everyone was ready, they headed out into the streets of Paris.

Francis took them to the kinds of places only the locals knew about. Small, hole-in-the-wall shops and bookstores, full of handmade items and art, books so old the stitching in the spine was frayed, and fresh, home baked pastries. He gladly bought each of them a petit four, and led them on a walk along the Seine river.

“What's with all the locks?” Matthew asked as they neared the Pont des Arts bridge.

“It started as a cute thing for young lovers to do,” Francis said, “they would attach a lock, a symbol of their unbreakable love, and throw the key in the river. In recent years, though, the weight of them has become a problem. Part of the parapet collapsed and so authorities began asking people to stop putting locks on there in order to preserve the bridge.”

“I wanna look!” Alfred said, grabbing Ivan's hand before darting off up the bridge. Gilbert and Matthew followed, the four closely examining the many locks on the fence. There were all different kinds, in all different shapes and colors, most having names or initials or dates written on in marker.

“He really needs to learn to settle down on occasion,” Aurthur said, pulling a packet of cigarettes out of his coat pockets. He and Francis stayed on the sidewalk, off to the side of the bridge's entrance.

Francis chuckled, “it is mere youthful energy. You were once that rambunctious, as I recall.”

Aurthur huffed and tilted the box toward Francis, offering him one, but he shook his head. “And look what trouble _that_ got me. A smoking habit and more jail time than I care to admit to.”

“Ah~ so it is a concern that you have for him. Look who cares so dearly!”

“Shut up!” Aurthur's cheeks tinted pink, though he didn't deny it. He pulled a lighter out of the same pocket and lit his cigarette, taking a drag.

Francis breathed deeply, closing his eyes for a moment. “You know, I was thinking-”

“That's never a good sign.”

Francis' lip twitched, but he chose to ignore the comment. “If they get stuck on Earth, we should adopt them.”

Aurthur choked on the smoke he'd been exhaling and sputtered, coughing. “Bloody- what- _why_?” At Francis' disapproving pout, he continued. “They're grown, there'd be no point. Not to mention, they are far too old to be our children. Younger brothers, perhaps, but not sons.”

“Even still, they will need a family.” Francis eyed a woman as she walked past. Aurthur spared her an appreciative glance before returning to the conversation.

“We can do that without adoption,” Aurthur said, “besides, if we were going to adopt, we should be married, which we aren't. And we've had _that_ conversation before.”

“I'll have you know, I am still wounded by that fiasco,” Francis said, feigning hurt as he splayed a hand on his chest. Aurthur snorted and rolled his eyes, inhaling a lungful. He let it out slowly, watching the smoke curl as it dissipated in the air.

“Excuse me.” They both looked to the side to see a woman, blond hair in a thick braid over her shoulder and a question in her blue eyes. “I was wondering, do you know those four on the bridge?”

Francis glanced over his shoulder when she gestured. Ivan, Gilbert, and the aliens. They were still examining the locks on the far end of the bridge. He regarded the woman with suspicion.

“Why do you ask?”

Her thin smile faltered briefly, “curiosity. I spotted you with them earlier, and they seem like an interesting group. Are they from around here?”

“No,” Aurthur said, a little too quick and blunt to be relaxed. “They're only tourists. Nothing new to Paris.”

“Do you know where they are from?” The woman asked. “Those twins particularly, I can't tell. I don't think I've heard that kind of accent before.”

“We didn't ask, I'm afraid,” Francis said, offering a tight smile. “May I ask why you are so curious?”

She glanced to the left, ducking her head, “no particular reason.”

“Well, if you don't mind, we really must be on our way,” Aurthur said stiffly. He flicked his cigarette to the cement and stepped on it, snuffing it out.

The woman's eyes narrowed briefly and she gave a curt nod. Aurthur and Francis waited a split second to see if she would leave first. When she didn't, they turned and started down the bridge. They passed their group of four, keeping strangers between them to go unnoticed. Francis sent Gilbert a text telling him to meet them in a nearby alleyway.

“That was suspicious,” Francis said.

“I'll say,” Aurthur said, throwing a glare over his shoulder in the woman's direction. She was still on the other side of the river, watching Alfred and Matthew peer over the railing.

It wasn't long before they got to the alley and the others arrived.

“The fuck is this all about?” Gilbert asked.

“Some woman came up to us, asking about Alfred and Matthew,” Francis explained.

“She tried to pass it off asking about all of us, but seemed particularly focused on the two of you,” Aurthur jutted his chin towards the aliens.

Ivan wrapped his hand around Alfred's, pulling him closer. “Do you know who she was?”

“No, I didn't want to risk pressing her for information,” Francis said.

“Shit,” Gilbert said in a huff. He pulled out his phone, scrolling through the schedule he'd made in the calendar. “Our train to Munich doesn't leave until late tomorrow morning.”

“We will stay at the apartment,” Ivan said, “at least Alfred and Matthew. We shouldn't risk them being seen in public again.”

Matthew shuffled closer to Alfred, “you really think she was after us?”

“I thought they couldn't get to us in Europe,” Alfred said, glancing at Ivan and then Gilbert.

“It's safer to assume she was,” Gilbert said. “The FBI could have contacted France's national security and asked them to keep an eye out for you.”

“Like spies!” Alfred said, his eyes going wide.

“We should head back now, while there's still crowds to hide in,” Ivan said.

The others agreed and they returned to the apartment, keeping their eyes sharp for anyone that might be following.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those curious: Superman's original debut was in Action Comics in 1938, and the original Doctor Who first aired on TV in 1963.
> 
> Also, I feel like there hasn't been a sufficient amount of PruCan, so they will be having some cute moments coming up soon.
> 
> As always, thanks so much for comments and kudos! :)


	23. Family In Munich

Aurthur and Francis went with them to the train station, where they would depart. The two of them to Nice and Ivan, Alfred, Matthew, and Gilbert to Munich. It would be close to an eight hour train ride and Ivan wasn't sure how to spend that much time in a confined space.

Francis hugged Alfred and Matthew tight and kissed each of their cheeks, and then stared Aurthur down with an expectant look until he at least hugged them. Gilbert went for hugs as well and Ivan settled on simple hand shakes, though Francis did pull him in for an awkward, brief one-armed embrace.

“We will miss you,” Francis said, mostly to Alfred and Matthew. He wasn't sure he'd ever get to see them again. He and Aurthur had come to see Alfred as something like a little brother in their time working together, and Matthew as well by extension.

“We will,” Aurthur said, nodding firmly, his eyes not quite meeting anyone's, though his cheeks were slightly pink.

“We'll miss you, too,” both Alfred and Matthew said at the same time, and Francis chuckled.

“We'll check in once in a while,” Gilbert said.

“Good,” Aurthur said, and then smirked, “make sure Alfred doesn't get into too much trouble.”

Alfred pouted at him, “who's says I'm getting into any trouble?”

Before anyone could say anything else, the speakers announced that their train would be leaving the station soon, and everyone needed to get on now. They said a few more quick goodbyes and went to show their tickets to the conductor. Once the group of four were boarded and had found themselves a compartment, they stared out the window, waving at Aurthur and Francis still on the platform. With a high pitched whistle, the train jerked into the motion and they were off on their way to Munich.

They spent as much time as they could playing games like hangman and other word-guessing games. Ivan watch over Alfred's shoulder, Matthew over Gilbert's, as they battled each other in an intense game of Pong on their phones. Once they agreed on a truce, Gilbert turned on one of his Pandora stations and Ivan watched while the three of them danced around the cabin, trying not to laugh at their bad moves. He did participate for a slower song, Alfred's arms wrapped around on his neck and his arms around Alfred's waist.

For lunch, when they only had two more hours to go, Gilbert set up his laptop and a movie. They'd ordered some food to take back to their compartment and watched _Tron_. Alfred loved it, and Ivan couldn't say he was surprised.

By the time they'd arrived in Munich, the sun was setting, and they were all tired and a little achy. Gilbert made one quick stop at a small store, explaining it was customary to bring a small gift when visiting someone's house for the first time, and bought a box of chocolate. He said one thing from the four of them would be fine for his father. Ivan noticed that he'd counted himself, and found it odd that he would be considered a guest in his childhood home.

It was a small house, connected to and surrounded by many other houses in the city. Gilbert knocked and the door opened not too long after. Mr. Beilschmidt, with long blonde hair slicked back, had the sharpest blue eyes Ivan had ever seen, his face stern and permanently hard.

“Gilbert,” he said by way of greeting. He hugged him, and Gilbert reciprocated with a few pats on his shoulders, tense and not really hugging him back.

“Hallo, Vati,” Gilbert said.

Mr. Beilschmidt -or Gerald, as was his given name, though it felt weird to call him that- showed them into the house and their sleeping choices. He mostly left them alone after that, reading at the kitchen table. He didn't speak much English, and Gilbert had to translate anything he said to Ivan or Alfred and Matthew.

“I take it you and your dad don't get along too well,” Matthew said. They were staying in what had once been Gilbert's room, when he was still living at home. It had been turned into a study with a computer desk and bookshelves, and a futon that pulled out into a lumpy, uncomfortable bed. The couch in the living room did, too, but Gilbert was too stubborn to sleep anywhere else and Matthew didn't like sleeping alone.

Gilbert rubbed the back of his neck, unpacking his pajamas. “Yeah, not so much. At least, we didn't the last time I was here. We got into this huge about-...fuck, I don't even remember anymore. That was nearly two years ago, I think?”

“You haven't been home for two years?” Matthew asked, frowning.

Gilbert glanced at him. “It's just better if I don't sometimes.” He tried to smirk. “I was kind of a pain in the ass when I was kid.”

“Oh.” Matthew wondered that was like, to have family problems, and a home that would be warm but also not when you returned. It had always just been him and Alfred, ever since he could remember.

Gilbert glanced at him again. “I bet your family can't wait for you to get back.”

Matthew sat on the futon and pulling his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms around them. “We don't have one. We were sent to an adoption center after we were born.”

“Oh, shit, I-”

Matthew shook his head. “It's fine, it happens. People have their reasons. We grew up in the dormitories of our school, and that was fun sometimes. The counselors and teachers raised us, mostly, and there was this one elderly lady that would sneak candy for us.”

Gilbert smirked, sitting on the futon next to him. “So it was like a private school?”

“Sort of, but it was also open to public students. It was sort of a mix between your private and public schools.”

Gilbert laid back on the futon, lacing his hands behind his head. “Tell me more about your school. Any awesome stories of you getting in trouble?”

Matthew smiled and laid down, resting his head on Gilbert's shoulder. “Well, that was mostly Alfred...”

* * *

The only thing that made waking up strange was waking up in Ludwig Beilschmidt's childhood bedroom. It had been stripped, of course, of anything that once belonged to him. After he'd moved out, his father got rid of anything left behind and put the few things he did wish to keep in a box, from both Ludwig's and Gilbert's rooms. It was stowed away in the closet, on the floor, a shoe box duct taped closed.

Ivan stared at the ceiling fan, the blades moving in slow enough circles that it didn't generate much of a draft. He wondered why it was even on when there was snow outside. It was plenty cold already. And it was probably the cause of the goosebumps raising on Alfred's exposed neck. Ivan pulled the blanket up further, tucking it under his chin, and wondered when he'd wake up. They had a few things to do that day. Gilbert wanted to show them around Munich a little and then he had to spend some one-on-one time with his father, which he didn't seem too thrilled about. They would be going out to a bar and once they got back, the four would be leaving for Switzerland.

With a sharp inhale, Alfred's eyes opened enough to reveal a sliver of neon blue, and he gazed around, his arm over Ivan's chest pressing down harder. He looked up, his cheek pressing into Ivan's shoulder.

His lips moved, rolling clicks sounding from his throat. The first time Ivan woke up before Alfred, he learned that that particular jumble of sounds meant _good morning_. A more accurate translation would have been something like 'pleasant sunrise,' which he liked better, even if it didn't always make sense with the time of day.

Ivan pressed his nose into the top of Alfred's head, inhaling the scent of someone otherworldly. Like meteorite dust and sugar, cool and sweet. “Dobroye utro.”

“How long have you been awake?” Alfred asked, voice still groggy with sleep.

Ivan shrugged. An hour or two, at least. “A while.”

“Weirdo,” Alfred mumbled. He yawned and stretched and sat up. “Could have gotta up.”

Ivan could have. But being a pillow was more fun. They got out of bed and got dressed for the day, and met the others in the kitchen. Gerald, Gilbert's father, was sitting at the table with a newspaper and a mug of coffee, thin wisps of steam drifting from the liquid. He kept a hand casually wrapped around it on the table, taking a sip every few seconds. Gilbert was at the opposite end of the table, eating a bread roll with marmalade, Matthew next to him munching on the same thing.

“Good morning,” Matthew said once he saw them, smiling.

“Morning,” Gilbert said around a mouthful of bread. At a sharp glance from his father, he ducked his head.

“Guten Morgen,” the man said, his voice deep and mumbling, sort of gravely. Ivan assumed it was naturally like that, as he had yet to hear him speak any other way. Just looking at him, he could tell Mr. Beilschmidt was a strict man, his blonde hair long and slicked back, and blue eyes hard. They always seemed to soften a little when he looked at Gilbert. Ivan wondered if Gilbert noticed. Probably not.

“Morning!” Alfred chirped, rounding the table to sit next to Matthew, who handed him a bread roll.

“There's coffee, if you want,” Gilbert said, gesturing to the counter where a coffee machine a few mugs were. Ivan nodded and helped himself, drinking it black. He stood behind Alfred, leaning against the counter. The strain in Gilbert's relationship with his father was almost radiating from him, and only slightly less so from Gerald. It made thick with discomfort, too much for speaking to seen okay, even as smalltalk or to ask what they were doing for the day. Ivan figured Gilbert would already have plans and a schedule mapped out, as he did with nearly everything else, and thus rationalized there was no need to speak up. Alfred and Matthew were the only ones really making noise, hushed voices commenting on whether they liked the marmalade or the butter best with the bread.

As soon as Gilbert saw that everyone was finished, he sniffed and stood and said, “let's get ready to go.”

The sky was cloudy, and snow crunched loudly under their feet. They walked through Gilbert's hometown and reached closer to the main part of the city, the streets lined with old buildings and people mulling around.

“So, where are we going?” Matthew asked.

“Just somewhere I used to hang out,” Gilbert said.

They took a turn down an alley and came out the other end, where the backs of the buildings faced an employee parking lot and a street on the other side of the concrete expanse. There was a good sized crevice made by three buildings, hidden enough that street artists had taken to spray painting the walls. Alfred and Ivan went to get a closer look while Gilbert and Matthew stayed several feet back.

“Figures they'd cover it up,” Gilbert mumbled, shoving his hands into his coat pockets. There were graffiti words and silhouettes of people, hearts with names and _forever_ , all obviously done by different artists.

“Cover what up?” Matthew asked.

“Back during my last year of high school, me and my girlfriend -ex, now- did this big mural here of two little kids. One was wearing a cape and grinning, and the other was all roughed up with skinned knees and tangled hair. It was supposed to be us. It looked like shit, but we worked hard on it. We kind of grew up together, but not really.”

“How so?”

“Her father was this diplomat from Hungary. They only lived here during the school year, and she went back their during breaks to spend time with her mom,” Gilbert said. “We'd hide out here a lot. We hid out in a lot of places. Her father didn't exactly...approve, of me.”

“Why not?” Gilbert seemed nice enough. A little loud sometimes, and he made dirty jokes, but he was a good person at heart.

Gilbert huffed, smirking, “said I was a bad influence. Truth is, though, is that our worst ideas were always hers.”

Matthew smiled a little. “Sounds like you two had fun together.”

Gilbert smiled down at the snow. “We did.”

Matthew looked away from him, the nostalgic smile making him fidgety. “What was her name?”

“Elizabeta Hedervary. Everyone called her Liza for short. Last name's _Edelstein_ now, though.”

“Oh.” Matthew noted the bitter twinge in Gilbert's voice when he said 'Edelstein,' and wondered if he still had feelings for her. The thought made a strange twinge settle in his chest. “Aren't we going to Hungary?”

“Yep,” Gilbert said. “We'll be meeting that _aristocrat_ at the border between Switzerland and Austria, and then he'll take us to their house in Budapest.”

“...what?” Matthew glanced at him.

Gilbert sighed. “Roderich, her husband. He was the reason she dumped me. Mostly, anyway. It's a long story.” He waved his hand, not particularly wanting to talk about it at the moment. He gestured at the walls, “people do this on your planet?”

Matthew nodded, not minding the sudden change in topic at all, “it's fairly common to see- sorry, what did you call it? Street art?”

“Yeah, you call it something else?”

“City murals,” Matthew said, “although, more modern ones aren't as artistic and done up as the older ones, from when everyone was protesting the Last War.” Gilbert raised his brow, encouraging him to go on. “It happened long before Al and I were even born. It was this massive war, sort of like your World Wars but worse. It left a lot of countries in poverty, some even thought it would destroy the

world. But then it ended and we managed to build everything back up, bring peace back.”

“That's kinda weird to hear about,” Gilbert said, “every time humans talk about aliens and extraterrestrial life, stuff like that never comes up. I mean, sure, it's mostly the question of whether or not your guys actually exist, but when it comes to societies, it's always 'they'd for sure be more advanced than us, older, ancient.' Not much about how much you might be like us, have wars and shit like that. Not in serious discussions, anyway. I mean, sure, there's Superman and all that, but that's just fiction.”

Matthew smiled crookedly, “we may be older, but we still have our fair share of problems. There's no such thing as a perfect society.”

“That's for fucking sure,” Gilbert said. He took a deep breath and cleared his throat, looking around the nearly empty parking lot and over to the street. He squinted at what he thought was a person on the sidewalk, even though that never helped, and bumped his elbow against Matthew's. “That a person over there?”

“Hm?” Matthew looked over his shoulder. “Yeah, why?”

“Just wondering,” Gilbert said. He was suspicious of strangers that lingered around them. “What do they look like?”

Matthew hummed, studying her for a moment, pressing a button on his glasses to zoom in a little closer. “A blonde woman. Her hair is braided and she has blue eyes, I think. She's pretty.”

The description was familiar, though Gilbert couldn't pinpoint why. “She doing anything?”

“Not that I can see,” Matthew said, “Just standing there, I think.”

“We should head back into town.”

Matthew looked over at him, setting his glasses back to normal. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, fine.” The woman just didn't sit well with him.

It sent a jolt through Matthew when Gilbert grabbed his hand. He was pulled along, back toward the alley they'd gone through, and Gilbert said to Ivan and Alfred, “guys, let's go! There's other stuff to see.”

They walked through the streets of Munich, Gilbert commenting on how old some of the buildings were and their local significance. A brewery that had been around for hundreds of years, a cuckoo clock in the main square that he insisted they stay around to watch at the strike of the hour. All of the little figures danced and Matthew and Alfred were both very amused, grinning and clapping once it was over. It wasn't long after that they headed back to the house. As soon as they stepped through the door, Mr. Beilschmidt was ready and waiting to take Gilbert out to a bar, leaving Ivan, Alfred, and Matthew to entertain themselves for a few hours.

When they returned, it was time to start packing for the train to Switzerland. Matthew sat perched on the futon. They had already folded it back into a sofa and put away the sheets. He was watching Gilbert shove his clothes haphazardly into his backpack. Ever since he and his father had gotten back, he'd been acting strange. It was especially noticeable in his sloppy packing, he was usually so neat and organized about everything.

“Are you okay?” Matthew asked.

“Fine,” Gilbert said without looking up. “Awesome.”

“Are you sure?” Matthew asked slowly.

Gilbert stopped, glaring at the shirt in his hands. “He said he was _proud_ of me.”

Matthew glanced to the side. He didn't see the problem with that. If he had a father, he would want him to be proud of him. “Isn't...isn't that a good thing?”

Gilbert grabbed the bottom of his backpack and shook everything out, starting over to fold the clothes and organize. “He has never said that to me before. Ever. Where the _fuck_ did that even come from?”

“He didn't say why he was proud?” Matthew asked, carefully picking a few shirts to fold. They were supposed to be leaving soon.

“For becoming a successful programmer,” Gilbert said, his face twisted up like the words were bitter. “For staying out of trouble. I guess Ludwig stopped telling him about me hacking shit. That's probably the only reason. It was just so fucking weird to hear.” He glanced at Matthew. “I'm an awesome hacker, and it's not useless or annoying...”

“No,” Matthew agreed, “I think it's been pretty useful for our situation.”

Gilbert grinned, “yeah, it has. 'Cause I'm awesome.”

Matthew giggled quietly, glad he'd gotten Gilbert to cheer up so easily. He was really going to miss him when he and Alfred went home. Honestly, the thought made him a little sad. He knew Alfred was going to have a hard time leaving Ivan, and they would never forget their time on Earth or the people they'd met.

“Hey!” Matthew squeaked when Gilbert landed across his lap, on his back, smirking up at him.

“You thinking about me?”

Matthew set the shirt he'd folded in the backpack. “You're right here. Why would I need to think about?”

Gilbert snickered, “I don't know, you tell me.”

Matthew huffed, his cheeks warming, and mumbled, “why do you keep flirting with me?”

“Because you're cute.”

“Shut up,” Matthew mumbled under his breath, his face growing hot.

Gilbert sat up, his face right in front of Matthew's, still smirking. “I still think you should kiss me.”

“We have to leave soon,” Matthew said, ducking his head.

“That wasn't a no.”

“Get up,” Matthew pushed at his hip, trying to get him off and fighting a smile.

“Nein!” Gilbert refused to budge, throwing his arms around Matthew's shoulders and falling backwards onto the futon. Matthew landed half on top of him, his legs still caught under Gilbert's.

“Really?” Matthew giggled into Gilbert's side.

“Kiss me,” Gilbert insisted.rt

Matthew looked up at him with a huff and got an idea. “Fine.” He tried to keep a straight face as he inched closer, closer, closer...Gilbert's eyes widened a little, his brow rising, Matthew's lips barely an inch from his. And then Matthew darted to the side, pecking his cheek, and sat up with a smug smile.

“Wait,” Gilbert frowned.

Matthew pushed his legs off and stood, “we should get ready to go.”

“Hey,” Gilbert sat up, catching his hand. “Are you really not interested?”

Matthew looked down at him, then at their hands, feeling the bumps of a scar on Gilbert's palm and rough fingertips. “It's just not a good idea.”

“Why?”

“Because we're not staying on Earth.”

“You could.”

“Gil, don't-” Matthew tried to tug his hand away, but Gilbert wouldn't let him.

“You really think Alfred's going to want to leave? You see the way him and Ivan look at each other. It's gonna shatter his fucking heart, and it'll break yours to see him that way.”

“He already knows we can't stay.”

“Does he?”

Matthew wanted to say 'yes.' He and Alfred had already talked about it. Sort of. Alfred had been reluctant, and hadn't exactly _said_ he agreed. Matthew just assumed...

Gilbert let go of his hand and stood. “Do what you think you have to. Just keep that in mind.”

There was a knock at the door and then Ivan's voice. “Are you two ready?”

“Yeah!” Matthew answered. Gilbert grabbed their shared backpack and his laptop bag, slinging the straps over his shoulders. The scrambler -Gilbird, as he'd named it- was dangling from the laptop bag. Matthew followed him out the door, holding onto the hem of his sleeve. Gilbert's fingers curled up to touch his.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not a very exciting chapter, but it's got Matthew thinking about stuff.
> 
> Also, this story will be wrapping up soon. Probably another few chapters and we'll reach the end :)  
> Thanks so much for comments and kudos!


	24. On Planning and Staying

 

Sargans was a small municipality in the northeast of Switzerland. They arrived shortly after nightfall, the stars and moon shining brilliantly in a black sky. From the train station, Gilbert got a taxi to take them to an inn owned by his cousins, Vash and Lili Zwingli.

It was a small, two story house that they'd turned into a bed and breakfast. The lobby had a fireplace and couches to sit on, there was a dining room and kitchen, and a cabinet behind the front desk with travel-sized toiletries they could buy. Lili had been behind the counter when the arrived. She was small, only fifteen, with blue eyes and a ribbon tied on one side of her blonde hair. Vash marched out from the kitchen as soon as he heard her talking to someone, his face stern and hair cut the same length as Lili's.

“Gilbert, nice to see you,” he said, “and your friends.”

Gilbert snorted, smirking, “sure, you too.”

“We'll show you to your rooms now,” Lili said, smiling.

“Don't talk to strangers,” Vash scolded quietly as they started up the stairs.

“But they're Gilbert's friends...”

“That only makes it worse.” Vash said. Gilbert snickered, reaching up to tickle Vash's ear, making him swat his hand away and glare at him. “Knock it off. You had better be hear for honest reasons, Gilbert.”

“Eh,” Gilbert shrugged. Vash glared at him again.

“We only need a place stay for a few nights,” Ivan said.

Vash eyed him and gave a firm nod. Their rooms were right next to each other, and Vash and Lili left them to get settled in. The room was spacious, with a small bathroom attached. A large bed and two windows on either side, a small TV and a little table with two chairs off in one corner.

Alfred and Ivan set their bags next to the bed and Alfred kicked off his shoes. He went up to a window, peering out at the moonlight glinting off snow and the dark mountains in the distance.

“Is the snow ever gonna melt?”

“It should be gone in a few months,” Ivan said, coming up behind him, resting a hand on Alfred's hip.

Alfred leaned back against him, nuzzling into his neck, and purred. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

“I love you-I love you-I love you-I love you-I love you-I love you-”

Ivan chuckled, wrapping his arms around Alfred's waist, and craned his neck to kiss him.

They were silent for a moment before Alfred asked, “when can we go home?” He missed the apartment and Sputnik, and going to work at Kirkland Records.

“To the apartment?” Ivan asked. Alfred nodded. “When I can be sure you will be safe there.” He tightened his arms around Alfred's waist, a smile smile growing, and Alfred felt his swell of happiness. He'd referred to the apartment as 'home.'

“So, not until they give up?”

Ivan nodded. “They will have to eventually. They can't waste resources chasing you forever. That, or we move.”

“To where?”

“Wherever you will be safest. Somewhere secluded. Maybe I will get you a one-way ticket to Siberia, keep you hidden away in a warm cabin.”

Alfred frowned, “that doesn't sound very fun. We'd never be able to go anywhere.”

Ivan pressed his lips to Alfred's ear, “we would have plenty of fun indoors. Just us.”

Alfred smiled a little, “what about Mattie?”

“He would live with us, if he wished to.”

“What if I wanna go work for NASA? Or SpaceX?”

Ivan turned Alfred to face him, watching him intently, face full of hope that he wasn't simply joking around. “Is that what you want?”

Alfred shrugged, “I've thought about it. You guys already made it to the moon, and now you're trying to get to Mars. I could help with that.”

Ivan wasn't sure Alfred should be working in such a space-involved field. It could be potentially risky, someone might notice that he knew just a _little_ too much. But that was a discussion for another time. “Does that mean- mean you want to...?”

Alfred nodded softly, a small smile on his lips, “I want to stay with you.”

Ivan held Alfred's face between his hands, “are you sure? Absolutely sure? I do not want you to regret this, ever. You will not be able to return to your planet, or the life you had there.”

Alfred nodded again, grabbing the front of Ivan's coat to pull him closer, “I want you.”

Ivan smiled, leaning in to kiss him. He backed him against the window, kissing him harder and deeper. “You are not allowed to go back on this.”

“I won't.”

“You have talked with Matthew about this?” Ivan said between kisses. Alfred froze, and Ivan pulled back. “You have...haven't you?”

Alfred frowned and shook his head. “I wanted to tell you first.”

Ivan sighed and ran a hand through Alfred's hair. “Alfred. I believe we are equally important in discussing this matter with.”

“But what if he doesn't want to stay?” Alfred said, “what if he says we have to go back, or gets really mad, or- or leaves without me anyway and he still mad and I never see him again, so hates me forever because I-”

“Alfred- Alfred!” Ivan rubbed his thumbs over his cheeks in circles, “I do not believe Matthew would be angry with your decision. I cannot say if he will agree, but I do not think he would be angry, and certainly not hate you. You should talk with him.”

Alfred nodded, Ivan's touch calming his mind, “okay. Okay.”

“Do you think he is still awake?”

“Mm. Probably.”

“You should do it now, then. The sooner the better, yes?” Ivan said. Alfred threw a hesitant glance at the door. “We can have a bath together when you return.”

Alfred let out a strange squeak. He knew Ivan knew that was something he'd been wanting for a while, and if Ivan was offering...that must have meant he wouldn't mind. He supposed, considering Alfred's decision, it was time they actually discussed their relationship as far as.... _touching_ went. Hng. He was willing to give Ivan everything. To give up everything for him.

“Okay.” Alfred said. He took determined steps to the door and left, Gilbert and Matthew's room just to the right of theirs. He stood outside, fists clenched, and thought of what to say. He paced, biting on a thumbnail, still thinking. He couldn't just blurt out _Mattie, I can't leave Ivan!_ Could he? There wasn't much else to say besides a blunt explanation. He sucked in a deep breath and stopped in front of the door, raising a fist, and knocked.

There was some muffled shuffling on the other side. “I'm getting it!”

“Really, Gil, it's probably just-”

“Nein! The awesome protector answers the door!” The door swung open, Gilbert leaning on the frame with a forearm, and looked Alfred up and down with suspicion. “What?”

“Um.” Alfred blinked. “I need to talk to Mattie.”

Gilbert inspected his fingernails. “For what purpose?”

Alfred heard Matthew sighed and knew he was rolling his eyes, too. “Gil, I told you it would just be Alfred. Let him in.”

“Actually,” Alfred tilted onto his toes to look past Gilbert's head and arm. “I need to talk to you privately.”

“Oh. Alright.” Matthew stood from the bed and padded over to them, ducking under Gilbert's arm to get into the hallway. “Is everything okay?”

Alfred forced a grin, “yeah, fine.”

Matthew eyed him, frowning. “Gil, are the other rooms unlocked?”

He shrugged, “maybe? Probably. Vash always locks them, but Lili forgets sometimes when she cleans.”

“Thanks.” Matthew said. Gilbert gave a single nod and retreated back into the room, watching through the crack as he slowly closed the door, eyes narrowed. Matthew rolled his eyes again. Once the door was shut, he said quietly, “he can be really weird.”

“I noticed,” Alfred said, watching the door.

They tried two rooms before finding one unlocked and entered, sitting on the floor, at the foot of the bed. They were silent for a while, Matthew waiting for Alfred to start, Alfred trying to organize his thoughts enough to string them into words.

“So,” Matthew started, knocking his knees together, “what's this about?”

“I want to stay on Earth,” Alfred blurted out, “with Ivan.  _For_ Ivan. Both. It's both.”

Matthew stared at him, his mouth hanging open slightly, his eyes wide. “Alfred- we  _can't_ , we've talked about this.”

Alfred shook his head, “I can't leave him. I-” He looked at his brother pleadingly, “I love him too much, Mattie.”

Matthew tried to say something, anything that would convince Alfred that staying was not an option. He sighed shallowly, “I know. Okay? I know, and I know how hard it will be for you, but it's not safe to stay. Ivan always says he wants wants you to be safe, doesn't he? That's why we've been traveling around. We can't keep hiding like this forever.”

“He said they'll give up eventually, that it'll become a waist of resources if they can't find us, and we can live out in the middle of nowhere.”

“But- but we can't,” Matthew said.

“Why not?” Alfred asked, narrowing his eyes, “it could work. Gilbert could hide us with his computer stuff, and we blend in just fine. Do you just really not want to stay?”

Matthew tried to say something, and came up with nothing. “I- I...”

Alfred wilted, curling his legs up and hugging his knees. “Oh...” If Matthew really didn't like it on Earth...there wasn't much Alfred could do about it. His eyes began to mist, pressure building at the corners. He couldn't leave Ivan, or Matthew.

Matthew shifted to his knees, grabbing Alfred's arm, “no, that's not it- I mean, I just don't think it's safe. And think of everything we'd be leaving behind. Everything we've ever known, ever cared about-”

“You and Ivan,” Alfred said, “I care about you and Ivan. And Gilbert. And Aurthur and Francis. I can get a job in engineering here. You can get a doctor job here, too, and I know you care about the same people as me. It's not like we had a lot of close friends on our planet.”

Matthew sagged against him. It was true, they'd always been seen as the poor orphans who grew up in a dormitory. Their scores in school were the only thing that got them noticed enough to enter the space program, to become certified astronauts. And the through all of it, Matthew had had to keep Alfred from being impulsive, from getting distracted. He asked quietly, “have you really thought this through?”

It seemed to be the wrong thing to say as Alfred shot to his feet, glaring at the floor. “You seriously think I haven't? I spent so long considering  _everything_ and- and I can't- just tell me if you're really set on leaving or not.”

Matthew glanced around, getting his feet. “I...I don't know, Al. I like it here, I do, but it seems so dangerous to stay.”

Alfred glanced up at him, “just think about it, okay?” And then he was out the door, back to his room. Back to Ivan.

Matthew ambled out of the room, back to his and Gilbert's, and all but threw himself onto the bed, his head landing in Gilbert's lap. “You were right. He wants to stay.”

As soon as Alfred shut the door behind himself, he tackled Ivan, wrapping his arms around his neck and crushing their lips together. He kept trying to get closer- closer- to feel more of him. All of him.

“Mm!” Ivan pulled him back by his sides, “Alfred,” he took a moment to breath properly, “what is this about?”

Alfred bounced lightly on his toes, eyes shifting between Ivan's, “I want you.” He wanted Ivan and he talked to Matthew, like he was supposed to, and it hadn't gone well. Not really. Maybe a little. Hopefully. He just needed  _Ivan_ , at least for right now. Ever since Ivan had taken him home, gave him food, offered to let him live there and to keep his safe, he'd become Alfred's definition of safety and comfort.

He pressed their lips together again, gentler this time so he wouldn't catch Ivan by so much surprise again, and purred softly when Ivan pressed back. Only briefly. “What did Matthew say?”

Alfred breathed out, eyes on Ivan's lips, “he thinks it's too dangerous to stay and I asked him to think it about some more.”

Ivan's arms slid further around his waist, tightening, “and if he does not wish to stay?”

“Then I-...I don't know. I guess...I don't know.” Alfred really wasn't sure what he'd do. Leaving Ivan would hurt. Leaving Matthew would hurt. He almost wished he hadn't been at that bus stop that night, but Ivan was worth everything, whatever happened.

Ivan kissed him again, tightening his arms until Alfred was pressed as close as possible. Alfred could feel the suppressed twinge of fear, the possessiveness of his want for Alfred. He moved towards the bed, Alfred initiating the loss of shirts and a scarf, his glasses. Ivan kissed every inch of his skin he could get to and Alfred arched into him, pulling him closer, and reached for the button of his jeans. He gave Ivan a questioning look -he never let Alfred see him without pants- and Ivan nodded, kissing him hard. Alfred marks lit up, and their clothes disappeared little by little, tossed to the floor as they tangled themselves underneath the sheets.

There was a tube and a box that had appeared in Alfred's backpack while they were in France, the packaging in French, and he quickly dug them out to give to Ivan. Ivan asked a minimum of four times if Alfred was sure and _yes! Yes,_ _he wanted this_. It took a bit of fumbling around, giggling as they experimented with what the other liked or needed, and they realized it wasn't too different from what they were each used to. Alfred's sun marks glowed brilliantly, as did his eyes every time they locked with Ivan's. It was clumsy and perfect, and Alfred was sure there was a supernova in his belly. He could feel Ivan everywhere, all over him, clinging to each other.

And he did not want to leave him.

* * *

It was early morning. They had another day in Switzerland before they would meet a man named Roderich at the border, and he would take them through Austria and into to Hungary. They had fallen asleep soon after their night wound down. Honestly, neither of them had been expecting it to happen. But the thought of losing Alfred, whether Alfred  _wanted_ to go or not, had made Ivan crave to hold him and touch him. So he did, in every way he could, leaving marks on his skin that clearly said  _mine_ .

He had questioned where the lube and condoms came from, knowing Alfred was too shy about sex to have gone out and bought them himself. Not to mention he barely left Ivan's side. If it was Gilbert teasing them, he  _may_ have thought to punch the man in the face. But then Alfred said it was probably Francis, recalling an offhand comment he'd made about being 'safe in the bedroom,' which was fine. At least with him, Ivan knew he was only looking out for Alfred.

Now, Ivan was filling up the tub with last night's promised bath. Alfred was curled up in bed, mostly awake but still resting. Once the tub was warm enough and full enough, Ivan went to get him and settled them both in the warm water, Alfred leaning back against his chest. He squeezed body wash onto a damp washcloth and began scrubbing him down, Alfred purring and snuggling into him. Alfred insisted on doing the same, snatching up another washcloth and loading it with soap. He scrubbed at Ivan's chest the way one would when polishing a car. He glanced up at Ivan and smiled, his cheeks tinted a permanent pink since the night before.

“See?” Alfred said, leaning against him as Ivan ran his washcloth up and down his back, “baths together are nice.”

Ivan raised a brow, “you bathe like this with Matthew?”

“Pfft, no. This is how  _partners_ bathe each other. Mattie would sit at one end and I'd be at the other.”

Ivan hummed, “it is nice.” It was relaxing, just him and Alfred, submerged in warm water and suds. He wasn't as self conscious about being naked as he thought he'd be. Maybe because he knew how much Alfred loved him.

Ivan let Alfred wash his hair, smiling as Alfred laughed, spiking it all up only to squish it under his hands. He gave Ivan a variety of styles, ranging from a mohawk to slicked back to sweeping it all to one side. Alfred was very amused, until Ivan said it was time to rinse and get out.

Ivan secured a towel around his waist and wrapped Alfred in another, and proceeded to get ready for the day. There wasn't much to do. Mostly, Gilbert wanted to go over plans and make sure everyone was on the same page, that they were on schedule.  _What_ schedule, Ivan wasn't really sure. As far as he was concerned, they were simply moving along as need be, and never staying in one spot for too long. Maybe they could settle down for a little somewhere. Maybe when they reached Lithuania, it wasn't exactly a hot spot for hideaways. Of course, he'd also promised to visit his sisters, which he would he have to do. Eventually. Especially Yekaterina, considering he'd be an uncle in a few short months.

Ivan wrapped his scarf around his neck and glanced over to Alfred, only to see he'd gotten too distracted by the potted plant in the corner to remember to put a shirt on. Ivan grabbed his striped long sleeved shirt off the bed and walked up behind him, slipping it over his head. Alfred slipped his hands through the armholes and Ivan pulled it down over his torso. From over his shoulder, Ivan admired the hickey on Alfred's collar. The shirt would cover it, which was just fine. Those were private matters between no one else but himself and Alfred.

“You like these a lot,” Alfred said, prodding at the flower's black center.

Ivan glanced at it and smiled, “They are my favorite. Do you remember what they're called?”

“Sunflowers!”

Ivan hummed the affirmative, watching Alfred feel the satin petals and leaves and fuzz coated stems for a moment longer. He twined his fingers around Alfred's and pulled him towards the door, over to the room next door, and knocked.

Something hit the door before it was thrown open just enough for Gilbert to peer out. “Password?”

“Stop being an idiot,” Ivan said, narrowing his eyes at him. “This was your idea in the first place.”

Gilbert huffed and walked back into the room, leaving the door open. Ivan entered with Alfred, closing it behind them. Matthew was sitting on the bed, his legs criss-crossed, Gilbert's laptop and a notebook open and spread out.

“So,” Gilbert said, landing on the bed and pulling the notebook closer to himself. “Next, we head for Hungary, going through Austria, and then it's off to Lithuania.”

Ivan took a seat at the small table off to the side and Alfred sat across from him. He did not miss the way Alfred avoided looking at Matthew, or the way Matthew seemed to be giving his feet a very contemplative look. Ivan sighed and looked over to Gilbert, “exactly what is the point of this? We already know where we are going next, and after that. As long as we remain hidden, there is not much else to plan.”

“I'm just making sure everyone is informed, 'cause I'm awesome like that! Besides, we need to be prepared for anything that might come up. Like government agents or some shit. There's was already that lady that talked to Aurthur and Francis, who knows what else might come up.”

“I suppose you have a point,” Ivan said. In situations such as this, edging on the side of paranoid could prove to be a good thing. He felt Alfred's socked feet slide his own foot in a game one-sided footsie.

“We need an emergency plan, like if we get slip up or some shit,” Gilbert said, “or, if we  _have_ to split up. Obviously, I take Matthew, and Ivan takes Alfred.”

“What?” Matthew looked up finally, glancing at Ivan and then looking to Gilbert, shaking his head, “no, Al and I aren't splitting up.”

“I said it's only if we have to,” Gilbert said, writing something down in his notebook. “Like a worst-case-scenario type of deal.”

Matthew glanced briefly at Alfred, then back to his feet. Alfred's feet stilled on top of Ivan's.

Gilbert kept going on about emergency precautions. If they got split up, they'd return to the Zwingli's inn, or the capital of whatever country they were in. If they could, Gilbert would contact Alfred's cell phone, or vice-versa, and pick a more specific location. He went over their route, which everyone already knew, and that seemed to be it. That was the closest thing to a plan they had. If confronted by agents looking for aliens, Ivan and Gilbert would...fight them, trick them. Do whatever necessary to keep them safe. Gilbert said they shouldn't have too to worry about getting Hungary, since it was Roderich getting them there and they'd be staying in their house. A manor, according to Gilbert.

Once they were done, Alfred piped up, “can we get something to eat?”

“I'm not really hungry,” Matthew said.

“We can go,” Ivan grabbed his hand and led him out, going downstairs. There was a small dining area with a breakfast bar.

Alfred got cereal -Fruit Loops!- and Ivan had a simple bagel with cream cheese. There was only one other person in the dining room, a woman with blond hair in a thick braid. Her glasses were perched on her nose as she read a book, not seeming to pay attention to anything else until they sat down. She smiled at Alfred and he smiled back, giving a little wave.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So now it's up to Matthew :O
> 
> Thanks for all the comments and kudos!!


	25. Trains and Other Forms of Travel

“Are you sure that's him?” Alfred asked, “he looks too fancy for us.”

“Pfft,” Gilbert started laughing.

They were at a train station, a smaller one not in association with the Eurail. Ivan watched the man sitting on a bench, the one Gilbert pointed out as Roderich. His dark hair was neatly combed, thin glasses perched on his nose, a mole under his lip. He wore a long coat, ruffles poking out from the opened top buttons, silver cuff links glinting in the light. With one knee crossed over the other, hands folded delicately in his lap, he waited.

“That's our aristocrat,” Gilbert confirmed. He led them over, Roderich's gaze moving across the small platform until he looked up at them.

He stood, smoothing down his coat with white gloved hands, and smiled, “Gilbert, a pleasure to see you, as always.”

“I disagree,” Gilbert said, narrowing his eyes.

Roderich turned to the other three, “Ivan, Alfred, and Matthew, I trust?”

“Yes,” Ivan answered for all of them, “thank for you doing this for us.”

“It is not a problem,” Roderich said, “though I do wonder what trouble Gilbert has gotten you into, to have requested my help.”

Gilbert huffed, “Nothing! And I didn't ask _you_ , I asked _Eliza_ and she said she'd make you do it.”

“Of course, of course,” Roderich sighed, “now, let us get on the train. We have a private car waiting for us.”

Gilbert rolled his eyes, “yeah, 'cause you'd just get lost driving. Seriously, you got lost in a fucking grocery store once!”

Roderich's lip twitched, “I am well aware of my lack of directional capabilities, Gilbert.”

“Tch.”

They boarded without even needing to show their ID's or tickets to a conductor. Roderich had everything settled and ready for them to go. With a whole train car to themselves, there was plenty of room for them to spread out and relax. Gilbert decided to take up two seats by himself, laying back and tucking his hands under his head. Matthew sat curled up on the floor next to him as they talked quietly. Roderich got a newspaper from somewhere and picked a secluded to read it in. Ivan and Alfred sat by themselves, away from them, Alfred purring as he buried himself in Ivan's chest. He'd become even more affectionate since they made love, and Ivan couldn't bring himself to mind. It was reassuring, considering their circumstances.

The train jerked into motion and they were off toward Hungary. For eleven and a half hours.

For a while Ivan sat quietly, dozing and distantly wondering if Alfred was falling asleep as well, unsure of how much time had already passed.

Alfred squirmed. “Ivan.”

“Mm.” He patted Alfred's hip.

“Ivan.”

He blinked, bringing himself back to wakefulness and whatever Alfred needed. “Yes?”

“I need to use the restroom.”

“No wandering,” Ivan pinched his hip for emphasis and Alfred snickered. He watched him get up and go to the door leading to the next train car. Roderich had already explained that it was the dining car and restrooms would be near the far end. Ivan kept his eyes on the door, waiting for Alfred to return.

Alfred meandered down the narrow passage between booths of people eating and chatting, they all seemed to be having such a good time. And it smelled nice in there, too. At the back were two small compartments, one marked for men and the other for women. Alfred entered on and did his business, then washed his hands. He stepped out of the little bathroom and started back down the isle. The food smelled good, but Ivan pointedly said no wandering.

“Excusez-moi,” someone lightly touched his elbow and he turned. It was a woman with a braid over her shoulder. She looked familiar, but couldn't place why.

“Hi?”

“Est-ce que vous pourrez m'aider?”

“Um...” Alfred stared at her with a confused smile. She spoke too fast for his glasses to translate properly.

“Ah, do you speak English?” She asked.

Alfred nodded, “yeah, did you need something?”

“So sorry to bother you,” she said, tucking a stray lock behind her ear, “it is only that I need to get my luggage down from the storage compartment, but I can't do it myself. Would you mind lending a hand?”

“Oh...” Alfred glanced at the door. Ivan said not to wander. But someone was asking for help. “Okay.”

“Thank you, so much,” she smiled, “it is only a few cars over.” She began to lead him away, in the opposite direction from Roderich's reserved car. “May I ask your name?”

“Alfred! And yours?”

“You may call me Mona.”

He followed her to a car two away from the dining car. It would be quick, just get her luggage down and go back to Ivan. The car was empty and she shut the door behind them.

He twitched at the sound of the lock sliding into place and turned to her with a strained smile. Something didn't feel quite right, but he chose to give her the benefit of the doubt. “Where is it?”

“Just up there,” Mona gestured to the shelf above the rows of seats.

Alfred couldn't see anything. Maybe it was pushed far back. He set a foot on the cushy seat and lifted himself up, reaching to grab the shelf for leverage. His brow knit when the only thing up there was a pack of cards. “You said there was luggage up here.”

“Did I?” The lights went out, the car bathed in darkness with the windows shut and heavy curtains closed.

Alfred tightened his grip on the shelf, keeping himself up, unsure of what to do now. He could see the glow of his eyes bouncing off the metal fixtures. Could she see it? Probably. But if he closed his eyes, he wouldn't be able to see where he was going.

“It has taken quite a bit of patience to get you alone,” Mona said, her voice closer than before, “that Russian man you've become _so_ fond of keeps quite the tight leash on you. I wonder, are you are his pet?”

Alfred could hear his own breathing shivering in and out. He winced when the shelf began to crack under his fingertips. She knew. She knew, she knew, she knew. He dropped, landing on his feet, and quickly back away from her. She had a hand on the back of a seat, a flashlight in the other, and Alfred realized it was too dark for her to see. She could only spot him by his eyes, unless she turned the flashlight on.

“I'm not his pet,” Alfred said firmly, watching as she raised the light and clicked it on, aiming it right at him.

“No? I've observed you for a while,” she said, “read the paperwork of the case, every scrap of data collected about the supposed 'extraterrestrial' that came off that wreck. Honestly, I didn't believe it at first. But then here you arer. And a _brother_ , too! You know, no one was expecting someone to come get you. There is one thing I would like to know, though. Why haven't you left yet? You've had plenty of opportunities.”

Alfred eyed the door, wondering if he'd be able to get around her. He doubted she could hold him, but he didn't want to hurt anyone. “I like it here.”

“More than your home planet?”

“Parts of it.”

“Braginsky?” Their eyes met and she smirked, taking several steps closer. “Oh, I am well aware that he keeps you in his bed. I'll admit I find it disgusting, but also rather intriguing.”

Alfred was tempted to glare at her. Instead, he let her come closer. She clearly thought she was in control of the situation. Whatever had been in the files, it wouldn't be enough to prepare her.

Mona lightly pressed her fingers against his sternum, “perhaps when we've got you in captivity, we can have some _fun_ experiments, no? I'm sure one of our scientists would love to get their hands on you.”

Alfred shuddered at the gross thought. “Gross. No, thanks.”

In movements too quick for her to catch, he grabbed her shoulders and spun, slamming her into the wall he'd been backed against. Just hard enough that when he let go, the air had left her lungs and she crumpled to the floor, dropping the flashlight. Alfred bolted for the door, running through the cars, barely noticing the startled stares of other passengers.

When he flung the door open to Roderich's car, Ivan shot to his feet and Gilbert shoved Matthew down behind a seat.

Alfred shut the door and locked it, “she knows-she knows-she knows-she knows-”

“Alfred,” Ivan grabbed him, pulling him close, “who are you talking about? What happened?”

“Mona- the lady- the lady with the braid and the glasses,” Alfred explained quickly, grabbing and pinching at Ivan's coat. “She knows. About me and _us._ Ivan, she knows we- we did the thing. How does she know that?”

“A braid,” Gilbert repeated, “isn't that how Aurthur explained the woman in France? A blonde woman with a braid. I think I saw her in Germany, too.”

“We saw her yesterday, in the dining area,” Ivan said.

Roderich folded his newspaper and stood, “I would like to know what you are all talking about.”

“Shut up, this has nothing to do with you,” Gilbert waved a dismissive hand at him.

Roderich glared at him, “I will not allow you near my _wife_ if you are in a dangerous situation.”

Gilbert chuckled wryly, “like she'd stay out of anything just because you wanted her to.”

Roderich opened his mouth, but Matthew cut in first, getting to his feet. “This is not the time for your petty rivalry!”

Roderich cleared his throat and straighted his lapels. “Right, of course. We get off at the next stop.”

“How are we gonna get to Budapest?” Alfred asked.

“That depends on how much you are willing to tell me,” Roderich said.

Ivan eyed the man. He didn't feel particularly inclined to trust anyone now. Not with Alfred.

Gilbert sighed, glaring at Roderich. “Fucking fine! Liza will kick your ass if you hurt anyone, anyway. These are need to be kept away from every government and scientist ever, and we need a place to lay low for a while.”

Roderich's eyes widened slightly, glancing between Alfred and Matthew. “ _Why?_ ”

“Does it fucking matter?! If they get to them, they'll be fucking _lab rats_ for the rest of their lives!”

Surprise or maybe shock flash across Roderich's face. He still seemed unsure, but resigned to a nod. “The next stop-”

“I don't know if we have time for that,” Alfred interrupted, “she's still on the train, and so are we, and that's a pretty confined space.”

Ivan pulled Alfred closer, away from the door. “How close is the next stop?”

Roderich pulled a pocket watch from his jacket pocket, clicking it open, “fifteen minutes, just before the Hungarian border.”

“Can we wait that long?” Matthew asked.

“Unless you would prefer to jump off a moving train,” Roderich said, tucking his watch back into its pocket.

“You think we could?” Alfred asked, moving to look out the window.

“Nyet,” Ivan grabbed him, reeling back towards himself. “He was not being serious.”

Gilbert hooked his arm around Matthew's, pulling him away from their seats and towards the back of the car. “And all that shit you given me for being prepared. We can head to the back of the train and get off from the rear. We won't be on a platform, but it should throw her off. The next stop is an outdoor station, there should be somewhere for us to run.”

The doorknob jiggled as someone on the other side messed with it.

They ran for the back, Ivan keeping Alfred in front of himself and Roderich trying to catch up with Gilbert. They ran through several train cars until they reached the end, locking every door behind them, and piled onto the back platform of the caboose. The wind rushed by, loud in their ears, and chilling them through their coats. Alfred shivered, inching closer to Ivan and bringing Matthew with him.

The train started to slow, the tires squealing as the breaks were applied. They braced themselves and once it was slow enough for them to get off safely, they jumped to the ground one by one. The train continued on for the last several feet until it reached the station. They hurried off the tracks and around the back of the platform, surrounded by trees and brush.

Matthew took a breath, hugging Kumajiro tight to his chest, and asked, “now what?”

“We will find a place to stay, perhaps a small inn or something,” Ivan said.

“Roderich pays because they're not gonna give a shit about him,” Gilbert said.

Roderich glared at him. “Fine, but you will tell me what is going on here. Are these fugitives you are hiding?”

“Hey!” Alfred frowned, “we're not criminals, I just crashed here. It was an accident!”

Roderich gave a quizzical look and Gilbert sighed. “Let's just find somewhere to hide. We'll explain later.”

* * *

“Put him on the phone, _right now_!” Gilbert's brow raised, eyes focused on his lap as he sat on one of the room's beds. Roderich was on the phone with Elizabeta -he'd made sure the lines were secure and untapped,- and could hear her from all the way across the room.

“Gilbert,” Roderich sighed, “Elizabeta would to speak with you.”

“I heard.” He took it from him, Gilbert dangling from the earphone jack. He chuckled awkwardly, “hey, Liza.”

“Don't you _hey, Liza_ me! What did you get my husband into?”

Gilbert flinched instinctively, even though the woman was many miles away. “Well. It's pretty awesome, actually, but it's not really something I should explain over the phone-”

“Gilbert. Beilschmidt.”

“Aliens.”

He heard her sighed heavily. “Gilbert, I am going ask you nicely _once_ to tell me _exactly_ what happened. He said there was a French _spy_ after you?”

“I just said it!” Gilbert defended, “we have aliens, and she was trying to get them. Which isn't good and you know that, we used to talk about this.” After several seconds of silence, he said, “there's one on my lap right now.”

And there was. Matthew had sprawled his back across Gilbert's legs, Alfred's head resting on his stomach. They were tired from traveling and running and hiding. Ivan had gone out to locate some dinner and made Alfred stay behind in the room after much protesting.

“And we're not sure she was a spy,” Gilbert continued, “but she was definitely government. I'm thinking UN agent or something.”

After several more seconds of silence, he was starting to get worried. “Liza-?”

Squealing, and she was probably jumping up and down if the muffled racket was any indicator. “Oh, my _God_! Are you serious?! _Aliens_? You're hiding real aliens?”

“I know, right?” Gilbert laughed with her, “we used to dream about this kinda shit when we were kids.”

Matthew glanced up at him. Alfred nuzzled his stomach, making light purring sounds, and smirked knowingly. Matthew huffed at his brother and turned his attention back to Gilbert.

“Can I meet them? Oh, wow, what are they like?” Elizabeta asked, calming herself.

“They're awesome, Liza, really awesome,” Gilbert said, smiling down at Matthew.

They talked for a while longer, working out a new plan. Elizabeta would come get them in a van and take them as far as Poland, then go home with Roderich. She wouldn't be there for several hours, leaving them with free time to rest and relax, stretch their legs. Ivan soon returned with a pizza and was greeted by Alfred pouncing on him as soon as he set it down.

It was the middle of the night, just past one in the morning, by the time Elizabeta arrived. Matthew and Alfred were asleep, curled up on one of the beds together. Ivan was awake and sitting at the table by the window, writing and peeking out every so often. Cars had come and gone, but none stayed or came back. Soft knocks to the tune of _Twinkle Twinkle Little Star_ alerted them that it was Elizabeta at the door.

Roderich answered and they hugged, speaking in Hungarian. She was a tall woman, strong but thin, with brown hair curling down her back and soft green eyes. She hugged Gilbert next, Roderich standing close with stiff shoulders. Ivan was too tired to bother with standing and greeting her properly, but she didn't seem to care, too interested in the sleeping lumps on the bed.

“Is this them?” She asked, whispering.

“Yep,” Gilbert said, brushing a stray lock out of Matthew's face.

His eyes cracked open and Elizabeta smacked Gilbert's arm and hissed, “don't wake them up!”

“They're not babies. Jesus.” Gilbert scowled, rubbing where she'd hit him.

Alfred's eyes opened, catching sight of the new face in the room, and his arms tightened around his brother. “Ivan.”

“This is Gilbert's friend, Elizabeta,” Ivan said, “Roderich's wife.”

“It's so nice to meet you,” she said, smiling widely.

Alfred smiled back and both he and Matthew sat up, rubbing their eyes. “It's nice to meet you, too.”

“And you were telling me not to wake them,” Gilbert grumbled.

“We should leave now, anyway, while it is still dark,” Ivan said. He put his things away and stood, taking one last peek out the window curtains. “The less time we stay here, the less time they have to figure out where we are.”

“Right,” Elizabeta said, “the van is waiting outside. I brought snacks and coloring books.”

“Coloring- Liza, they're grown men,” Gilbert said.

“I think that sounds fun,” Alfred said, grinning at the idea. Elizabeta smirked triumphantly at Gilbert. He rolled his eyes.

She led them out to the back of the inn, where she'd parked, and they packed their things into the trunk. Alfred kept Tony with him and Matthew kept Kumajiro, both of whom were introduced and explained to Elizabeta, who listened excitedly. Roderich drove first while Elizabeta kept a map open in her lap, telling him where to go. Gilbert and Matthew sat in the middle row of seats, and Ivan and Alfred took the very back.

They switched drivers every few hours, and who sat where or who with. It was decided that Gilbert was now allowed to be in the same row as Roderich, since he kept messing with him. Tugging his hair or ear, poking him, throwing crumpled paper napkins at him, and then pretending he didn't do anything.

Long after the sun came up, Alfred was manning the map while Ivan drove. Elizabeta was asleep on Roderich's shoulder, and in the very back sat Gilbert and Matthew, enjoying the coloring books of various animals and fairy tale characters.

Matthew glanced at Gilbert, who was focused on giving a tiger blue stripes. “So. What happened between you and Elizabeta, anyway?”

Gilbert smirked, “why do you want to know?”

Matthew's cheeks tinted pink and scribbled his crayon faster, giving Rapunzel green hair. “Just curious.”

“We dated, Roderich was a douche, we broke up. The end.” Gilbert said.

Matthew glanced at him again. “What'd he do?”

Gilbert sighed. “He knew her parents didn't approve, and that they liked him because he was _proper_ or whatever, so he went behind both our backs and told them he was interested in dating her.”

Matthew stopped coloring and furrowed his brow, “why would that change anything?”

“Because there's nothing Liza cares more about than making her parents proud,” Gilbert said. “I mean, I guess it worked out in the end. I accepted the scholarship to New York because we broke up, she's happy with Roderich and he's good to her.” He smirked at Matthew, tilting his head closer, “I also get to flirt with a guy that is _out of this world_.”

Matthew snorted as he started to laugh and shoved his shoulder, his face feeling hot, “that was the worst line ever!”

Gilbert grinned, watching him laugh and laughing with him. “Okay, but it worked, right?”

Matthew rolled his eyes, stilling smiling. “Maybe.”

“You gonna kiss me yet?” Gilbert asked. Matthew's cheeks reddened and he squeaked, trying to make more words come out. Gilbert leaned, lifting his fingers to angle Matthew's face towards his, and pressed their lips together. Matthew kissed back and then pulled away, burying his face in Gilbert's shoulder as the sun marks on his cheeks lit up. His purr gave his reasons away.

Gilbert smiled lopsidedly, “it made you that happy?”  
  
Matthew smiled into his shirt and shrugged, not wanting to answer. “It was nice.”

“Hey. What do you think would happen if you stayed?”

His smile fell a little, “I don't know. I keep imagining just...running and hiding forever, until someone catches us and sticks on a dissection table.”

“I wouldn't let that happen,” Gilbert said, pressing his lips to the top of Matthew's head, “even if I end up in fucking Area 51, I wouldn't let that happen.”

Matthew's frown deepened, “let's hope it doesn't come to that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope the French is correct. Feel free to correct it if it's not.
> 
> Thanks for the comments and kudos!!


	26. The Difficult Choices

Krakow, Poland. Not a planned stop. Luckily, Toris and Felix had already been in Poland for several days and would be able to meet them there. They'd chosen a small cafe to meet in, now standing around a coffee table and sofa tucked away in the corner. Elizabeta and Roderich had dropped them off and were departing to head back to Hungary.

She hugged Alfred and Matthew tightly, “it was amazing to meet both of you. Let me know if you stay, I'd love to show you around Budapest sometime.”

“Okay,” they said, and she pulled away to hug Gilbert.

She smacked her fist against his back, “call more often, idiot, and not only when you need help.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Gilbert said, rolling his eyes. When she pulled away, he and Roderich sized each other up, settling on a stiff nod and mumbled, “bye.”

They were gone quickly, leaving the four to wait around the table. Ivan sat on one end, Alfred curled up next to him, Matthew at his side, and Gilbert at the other end. Ivan held Alfred's hand in a tight grip, rubbing his thumb over his knuckles, and held a warm tea in the other. They sat in a tense silence, no one wanting to speak of their situation in public.

It wasn't too long before the door over the bell jingled and they all looked up. Gilbert had worked the timing so they wouldn't be waiting for too long. Toris had his brown hair tied back in a short ponytail and he waved at them, Felix tugging on the elbow of his sleeve until he succeeded in pulling him over to the counter. He ordered a coffee and then they joined the others. They stood and Ivan introduced everyone, making polite smalltalk of asking how they were doing. They were fine.

“I really wasn't expecting you to stop in Poland,” Toris said, blowing steam off his coffee, “I thought you were going straight to Lithuania.”

“That was our plan,” Ivan said, “but we ran into a bit of...trouble.”

“Oh, is everything alright?” Toris asked with a worried frown.

“Fine. Would you happen to know of a place we could stay?”

“Um...” His lips quirked down further, a small crease forming between his brow.

Felix spoke up, peeking out from behind Toris' shoulder. “Like, my parents' house is empty right now because they're visiting my grandmother in Warsaw. We could all like, stay there for now. They totally wouldn't care. It's a few hours from here, so we'll have to get a taxi.”

“Felix's parents' house, I guess?” Toris said, smiling almost awkwardly. Ivan supposed he should have asked Felix to begin with. He was far more familiar with Poland, seeing as he grew up there.

They hailed a cab and piled in, Alfred sitting on Ivan's lap and Matthew on Gilbert's. Ivan thought the driver would have had a problem with that, but he didn't say anything. They drove out of the city and through small towns, passing wide opens fields and farms and dense forests, all covered in just-melting snow and lingering frost. They drove up a long dirt path to their destination.

It was a nice sized house, two stories with three bedrooms and a spacious kitchen, plus a sun room that had been turned into an art room. Felix gave them a small tour and told them to just make themselves at home. Night approached quickly, the sun already setting. Alfred and Matthew sat outside on the back patio, Tony in Alfred's lap and Kumajiro in Matthew's.

Matthew played with Kumajiro's nose, where the power button was. “We'll have to turn them both on. The podship is set to track both, to make sure we're together.”

Alfred frowned, pulling his knees to his chest and squeezing Tony. “I'm not going to.”

“I'm not saying you have to,” Matthew said quickly, “just reminding you. In case.”

“We can beat them...”

Matthew sighed. “A world of governments, Alfred? We're not invincible superheroes. We may be physically stronger and _know_ of more advanced technology, but we don't have any of that here, and we can't hurt them. We're two against billions, who _happened_ to meet some good humans.”

Alfred's eyes burned as he thought about Ivan, sitting inside. He and Gilbert were at the kitchen table, reworking their plan of action. He'd promised they could read _The Wizard of Oz_ to each other before bed. Alfred looked over at him through the glass door and Ivan looked back, their eyes catching briefly before he turned back to Gilbert's notebook and maps. Would Alfred still be able to sense Ivan if he left? He knew it would last for a while, but it would wear off eventually...

“Mona will probably have backup now that's she's gotten so close.”

Alfred shrugged, eyes lingering on the side of Ivan's face for a moment longer until he looked back to his brother.

“Gilbert kissed me,” Matthew said quietly. A cold breeze blew, rustling their hair.

Alfred's brow rose, a tiny smirk spreading, “really?”

“I'd like to stay, too, if I thought we could.” Matthew threw a quick glance at Gilbert, so diligent in his planning and plotting.

The corners of Alfred's mouth tugged down again. “Oh.”

Matthew locked his gaze firmly on Alfred, expression hard, “she almost had you, Alfred. What if she'd had one of those- those shocker things?”

Alfred almost smirked. “A taser?”

Matthew frowned. “Yes. Or worse, what if she'd had a _gun_? She could have killed you right there. They don't need you alive for a dissection.”

“If they did, it'd be vivisection.”

“Alfred.”

“Sorry...”

Matthew reached over and laced their fingers, the sun marks on their knuckles lighting up in a synced pulse. “I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happened to you. Not when I could have prevented it.”

Alfred squeezed his fingers. “Me either.”

Matthew pulled him closer, “then you know we might have to, right?”

Alfred leaned against him, resting his head on Matthew's shoulder, “I can't...I promised.”

“Not every promise can be kept.”

“I-” Alfred stopped, lifting his head, catching movement in the corner of his eye. He looked towards the corner of the house but saw nothing.

“What?” Matthew asked.

Alfred shook his head, “just thought I saw something.”

Matthew smiled a little, teasing, “remember when we were little and you were _convinced_ the dormitories were haunted?”

“They were!” Alfred whipped his head around, looking back to Matthew. “Stuff would get moved around all the time, and the floors would creak at night.”

“That was all the supervisors,” Matthew said, “I've told you so many times, you would make a mess and they'd clean it up after we were put to bed. Why do you think it stopped happening once we were old enough to know better?”

Alfred pouted at him, “I still blame the ghosts...”

He nearly jumped out of his skin when the glass door slid open. They looked up to see Ivan standing standing in the doorway.

“I came to check on you,” he said.

“We're fine,” Alfred said, smiling fondly at him.

Ivan stepped over the threshold, scanning over the nearby forest and yard. “Someone knocked on the front door. When Felix answered, no one was there.”

“That's...weird,” Matthew mumbled. Weren't they a bit far out for someone to be playing pranks? The next house wasn't for several miles. “Al thought he saw something just a minute ago.”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, that was p-probably nothing. No ghosts,” Alfred said.

Ivan quirked a brow, assuming it had to do with whatever they'd been talking about before his arrival. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah,” Alfred said, then shivered, “this is like the start of a horror movie.”

Ivan ran his fingers through Alfred's soft golden hair, smoothing down stray locks. “Nothing horrific will happen.” Alfred purred softly, leaning into the touch.

Ivan glanced back into the house. Gilbert was hurriedly packing his things away. He wanted to be prepared to leave at the drop of a hat, ready to run if need be. Matthew got up to help him, giving Alfred and Ivan some time alone.

Ivan sat next to Alfred on the large stones covering the ground, making up the patio floor. He pulled Alfred to sit between his legs, resting him against his chest, and wrapped his arms around him. Alfred sighed contentedly, looking up at the first stars of the night.

“I love you,” Ivan mumbled into his hair.

“I love you, too.”

Ivan guided Alfred's face towards his own, studying neon blue eyes. There was something pricking like a thorn, sad and painful. “What's wrong?”

Alfred nuzzled Ivan's cheek, closing his eyes, savoring the moment while he could. The smell of Ivan's soap, like pine and spices, and the way his body temperature was a little cooler than his own. How he was bigger and seemed to envelope him, surrounding him comfortably. A perfect fit.

Ivan tensed as headlights swung around the yard, moving up the driveway. Alfred peeked, trying to see what was going on. They couldn't see from the backyard.

Felix stomped outside, glaring, not even bothering to put shoes on, “like, who the fuck did you bring to my house? There's like, people in suits and shit out front. What the fuck did you do?”

Toris hurried after him, hands out in some attempt to keep the peace. “I-it's probably a misunderstanding. Right, Ivan? I'm sure he didn't do anything.”

Alfred shrank into Ivan's chest, not wanting this to happen right now. Or ever, preferably. Ivan stood, bringing Alfred to his feet, arms still holding him tight and close. A rush of panic jolted through him and Alfred clung to Ivan's coat, not wanting him to worry just yet. Gilbert pushed past Felix and Toris, pulling Matthew along behind him.

“We need to get out of here.”

“How? We don't have a car or anything,” Matthew said.

Three figures rounded the corner of the house, walking towards them. Mona, Agent Masters and Agent Davidson. Mona must have had them fly in on a red eye last minute while she tracked them, or maybe they'd been on their way the whole time.

“Like, seriously, what the hell is happening right now?” Felix asked, gaping at them. Toris seemed at a loss as well, eyes wide and lips hanging open slightly.

“Run!” Ivan pushed Alfred over to Matthew and he grabbed his hand, the two running for the forest.

When the agents ran after them, Ivan and Gilbert followed. The trees were dense, blocking out what little light was left from the sun dipping below the horizon. Ivan batted low hanging twigs and leaves out of his way, careful not to trip over anything. He couldn't even see the glow of alien eyes. They have been running faster than any human could to get so far ahead. He ducked around several trees, putting distance between himself and the agents. He had to find Alfred and Matthew, get them somewhere safe.

“Do you see them at all?” Gilbert asked, his voice closer than Ivan expected, making him jolt in surprise. He hadn't thought to even keep track of Gilbert.

“No,” Ivan answered. Gilbert swore under his breath and they kept going.

Far ahead, Alfred and Matthew had stopped to catch there breath, crouched at the base of a large tree. They were just before the line of a wide clearing, dim moonlight glinting off the snow covered grass. It was the perfect place, and they were far away enough to do it in time.

“Alfred, we have to,” Matthew said, eyes the most dim Alfred had even seen them.

“No,” Alfred shook his head, turning Tony's face away so Matthew couldn't get to it. “No. We have to- Ivan- I can't-”

“I know, but they're here and we can't do anything else,” Matthew pleaded, “I'm sorry.” He pressed Kumajiro's nose and its eyes instantly lit up, slowly flashing red. Their awaiting podship was a ways away, but it could get there fast enough. Espcially once Tony was on, too. “We'll wait a little before turning Tony on, okay?”

Alfred peeked around the tree, hoping to spot Ivan somewhere. There was no one, no sounds besides the faint crunching of snow under running feet and voices. He couldn't just _leave._ Not so suddenly, without a word, without Ivan there. He promised he wouldn't change his mind, and he'd hate himself if he left Ivan to think he'd abandoned him. He felt Ivan's worrying and fear, his need to find him. Alfred closed his eyes and leaned against the tree, sending everything he had to Ivan.

Ivan ducked under a thick branch and almost stumbled from rush of emotions that swelled in his core. It was all from Alfred, warmth and love, and...regret? What could Alfred be regretting right now? Ivan's heart clenched at the thought that it was him, that is was crashing on Earth and not leaving sooner. But that couldn't be it, it didn't make sense with everything else Alfred had said before and was sending now. He made his feet move faster, his determination to find him growing. He could hear Gilbert huffing as he tried to keep up. The agents were lagging behind as they tried to be too thorough, flashlights checking every tree branch and hole in the ground.

Ivan ran faster than he ever had in his life when he saw a soft lavender glow from behind a tree, and then another set of neon blue.

“Ivan!” Alfred jumped to his feet, leaving Tony on the forest floor.

Ivan only stopped when he close enough to grab him and pull him into a tight embrace. “Alfred.” He breathed out shakily, letting relief wash over him that Alfred was safe and with him.

“Gil,” Matthew stood just as Gilbert reached him, rounding to the other side of their tree.

“Hey, are you guys okay?” He asked, breathing heavily. He gripped Matthew's arm, pulling him closer.

“Yeah, we're fine,” Matthew said, holding onto the front of Gilbert's coat.

Gilbert's eyes caught on Kumajiro's flashing eyes. It was getting faster, the podship getting closer. “Why...?”

“Alfred, what's wrong?” Ivan asked, trying to see his face but Alfred had buried it in his chest, ear pressed hard over Ivan's heart.

“I'm sorry,” Alfred said, words muffled against Ivan's coat, “I don't want to go.”

“What are talking about-?” Ivan asked just as Kumajiro caught his eye. A twig snapped under a foot in the distance.

Matthew stooped to pick up Tony. “We have to...um.”

“You have to leave,” Gilbert said, face blank. Matthew bowed his head and nodded. He pressed the spot between Tony's eyes and they flashed in time with Kumajiro's, steadily getting faster. Gilbert yanked him into a hug, “okay.”

“You're not mad?” Matthew asked, sinking into him.

“Of course not,” Gilbert said, “I mean, it sucks and I'm gonna miss you a shit ton. But I told you before, you do what you have to.”

Ivan pulled Alfred away just enough to see his face, cupping his cheeks as his glowing eyes glittered with the threat of tears. He pressed the foreheads together, pecked his lips. As much as he didn't want to...he knew he would have to. They almost got him once already. “It is okay, Alfred.”

Alfred shook his head, “no, no it's not, I promised. You said-”

“I said I would keep you _safe_ ,” Ivan cut in, “that was always _my_ promise.” Even if it meant letting him go.

“No, no you said- Ivan, you're supposed to tell me to stay,” Alfred said, clinging to Ivan's waist. “You- you said I wasn't allowed to change my mind, and I said I wouldn't. Ivan, tell me to stay.”

“You have to go, Alfred.” The hardest words he would ever say. Ivan was surprised he didn't choke on them. He shifted to kiss Alfred's ear, “you can hear them coming, can't you?”

Alfred nodded slowly. Three sets of feet stomping through the snow, stopping every few steps to check one thing or another.

Ivan pinched a lock of golden hair between his fingers, memorizing the feeling, soft as a dandelion puff, and the brilliant glow of neon eyes, kissed each freckle scattered across tan cheeks. He had never dreaded something so much more than this moment. He denied its very possibility, and now here it was. Inevitable and unavoidable. He supposed he should have known all along that it wasn't likely Alfred would be his forever. Ivan breathed in his scent and felt his skin, refusing to ever forget a single thing about him.

“Ivan...”

“It's okay,” Ivan said. The Friends' eyes were flashing so fast, the podship would be there any minute. “I will miss you, and I will always love you.”

“Me, too,” Alfred said, clinging to Ivan's hand over his cheeks, pressing them closer, “I won't ever stop.”

Ivan kissed him and held him for as long as he could. The air stirred, wind picking up. Lights lit up the area and an engine hummed as the podship appeared high overhead. They all looked up as it began its descent, lowering to the floor of the clearing. It was long and rounded, almost like NASA's old shuttles only wider and smaller. Gilbert gaped at the sight and Ivan pressed Alfred closer to himself.

The ship hissed as it settled in the snow and wet grass, steam and exhaust fuming up around the base.

“Whoa...” Gilbert breathed.

A hatch shifted out and lowered slowly, forming a ramp, leaving a small opening to crawl through. Someone did, a man in a black jumpsuit with orange gloves and a strange symbol on the chest. He smiled at seeing them and started towards them down the ramp, speaking in their alien language.

“ _Matthew, Alfred! It's so good to see you both. Everyone has been so worried._ ”

“ _Give us a minute, please,_ ” Matthew called. The man stopped at the end of the ramp, hesitating on a last step. He gave a confused look but nodded and stayed where he was. Matthew turned back to Gilbert to say goodbye.

“I don't want to go,” Alfred said one last time, turning back to Ivan.

“I know,” Ivan said, “but-”

“There!”

“Oh, my God...”

“Alfred,” Matthew pulled away from Gilbert and grabbed his brother's hand, “we're out of time, we have to go.”

The agents stood there in shock, taking in the ship, the alien on the ship's ramp, and Alfred and Matthew. Ivan's sleeves slipped through Alfred's fingers as he let Matthew tug him away, keeping his eyes glued to Ivan all the way to the ship and up the ramp.

Mona stepped forward and Ivan grabbed her arm, still watching Alfred. “No. They do not belong here.”

She glared at him and tried to yank out of his grasp, but he held tight. Her attention was brought back to the ship when the hatch closed.

“ _Is he okay?_ ” The crew's co-captain asked, looking deeply concerned.

Matthew glanced at Alfred, then out the small window at Ivan and Gilbert. “ _He will be. Eventually_.”

“ _We need to get you two into your suits and helmets_ ,” the co-captain said. He already had Alfred's prepared, and Matthew's was still folded and tucked away inside Kumajiro. Matthew nodded and pulled Alfred into the ship. He caught sight of the three agents, staring in shock at their podship as the hatch began to close. There wasn't anything they could do now. They couldn't get to them on a closed and locked spaceship.

Alfred numbly let Matthew dress him in his spacesuit and secure his helmet on, helping him into his own, followed him to their seats and let himself be strapped in with the safetybelts. He leaned closer to the window, trying to get one last look at Ivan before they took off. He couldn't see him. Alfred looked down when something was set in his lap. It was Tony, Matthew having carried both Friends on board. Alfred picked it up and squeezed it close, slumping into his seat.

The pilot glanced at them with a smile, “ _Alfred, it's amazing to see you're okay. Are both of you ready for takeoff?_ ”

“ _We're ready_ ,” Matthew answered, watching Alfred. He had his eyes shut tight, his lips pinched in a tight frown. His cheeks were wet.

The pilot nodded and began her countdown. “ _Liftoff in...five...four...three...two...one..._ ”

Everyone on the ground lifted hands to their eyes as the lights brightened and the wind whipped around, the podship rumbling as it lifted off the ground and shot towards the sky, breaking through the atmosphere.

Silence rang loudly as soon as it was out of sight.

“They're gone,” Agent Masters said.

“The fuck did you expect?” Gilbert said.

“Shame,” Mona mumbled. Gilbert shot her a glare.

Ivan stared at the sky, the stars dotting the black, trying to spot their ship even though he knew he'd never see them. They were too far away. Alfred was gone.

He wasn't sure how long he stood there like that, so focused on the stars that he didn't even hear the people around him talking or moving. Not until Gilbert pushed his shoulder and mentioned something about not being able to stay out there all night. The agents had paperwork or something, reports to make. Whatever it was they did when they weren't chasing aliens. Gilbert argued with them that there wasn't anything they could hold them for. Nothing with proof, anyway, no court would see 'obstruction of capturing aliens' as a believable reason. They had no pictures or videos, no evidence. So they left after scouting the area one last time.

“What are you gonna do now?” Gilbert asked as they walked back to the house.

“I have to visit my sisters,” Ivan said, not really paying attention. “You?”

“Think I'm gonna ask Ludwig to meet me at Dad's house. Spend some time at home.”

“That sounds nice.”

“Yeah...”

Toris convinced Felix to let them spend the night. It was late, they were tired, and clearly something big had happened. Felix agreed as long they swore the 'Men in Black' weren't going to show up again. They kept asking what happened to Alfred and Matthew, and neither Ivan nor Gilbert were sure what to say. “They're gone,” was the only answer they could give.

Toris frowned, watching from a bedroom doorway as Ivan smoothed out the sheets on his bed. “Are you sure you're okay?”

“No.”

“Would you like to talk about it?”

“No.”

“Are you sure?”

Ivan sighed and looked down at-...at his and Alfred's backpack. The red cape of a blue t-shirt was poking out. “Is there any hot chocolate?”

“Um. M- maybe. I'll go ask Felix.” Toris hurried away, unsure of how to handle Ivan in such a gloomy mood.

Ivan pulled off his boots and laid down, hugging a pillow, waiting for it to really sink in that he'd let Alfred go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm kinda terrible at endings, so I hope this isn't too bad. One more chapter and then we're finally done! It's already finished and will be posted next Wednesday.
> 
> If I write another story, it won't be nearly this long. Even this wasn't supposed to be this long, haha.


	27. Never Let Go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is late. I completely lost track of the days and thought yesterday was Tuesday but then...it wasn't. So yeah, sorry about that.

It took a while, but there they were, sitting at the conference table on the Interstellar Space Lab, across from a screen. It showed the mission director back on Apollonia, at the Global Space Exploration headquarters. He scanned over the files, the reports, and the plans once more, and looked back up the three sitting at the table. The mission commander, Medical Specialist Matthew Williams, and Lead Engineer Alfred Jones.

A crease formed between his brow. “Are you both absolutely sure about this? I would...it would be an awful lot to take on. Honestly, we wouldn't even be considering this if you two hadn't volunteered.”

“We want to do this,” both Alfred and Matthew immediately answered in unison.

The director glanced at the commander. “And you approve?”

“I do,” he said, “I think they're the best suited for this, and if they're willing...well, why not?”

The director looked back to the twins. “Alright then. Thank you, Alfred and Matthew, for such a big sacrifice. It will be immeasurable in the understanding of both the universe and ourselves.”

Alfred and Matthew grinned at each other, squeezing hands. They were so excited.

 

_**One year after they left Earth...** _

Ivan stood on the back porch of his house, watching the stars shimmer. Crickets chirped and a light breeze tousled his hair, slightly chilled from the start of melting spring. The leaves on the trees were just beginning to grow back. The patch of sunflowers he'd planted were starting to show signs of renewed life as well, preparing to wake for the summer. And the stars...there were so many, and looking at them made his heart clench and twist around itself.

It was difficult at first. He kept expecting to see Alfred when he woke up, or hear him somewhere. Feet padding across the floor, whatever documentary he'd taken an interest in, his random little comments and questions. Ivan could barely sleep anymore, missing the warmth of another body under the covers. He'd taken to passing out at his desk.

After everything, Ivan moved to a secluded area in western New York, unable to stay in the apartment with a certain presence missing. Aurthur and Francis visited on occasion, at least every other month, and Ivan would prepare tea and cookies for them. Even Gilbert visited twice, and occasionally called on Skype. Ivan would always ask if he'd heard from them at all, which was silly he supposed, especially after a continuous answer of 'no, sorry,' and sad red eyes. He couldn't help it, though. He needed to know. To know if Alfred had tried to send him something, to say 'hey, I'm thinking about you.' Because Ivan thought about him every single day. The vice grip around his chest hadn't eased since the day the alien left.

The effects of his bonding had worn off. Ivan wasn't sure when, specifically. Alfred used to send him rushes of emotion that would nearly knock him off his feet, sending all of his love and longing. It started to get duller and duller until one day, months ago, Ivan noticed that he couldn't feel it at all anymore. The weight of another's heart, sparks of random excitement as something light years away made Alfred happy. Ivan felt hollow in his chest without it.

Every day, some small thing or another would bring back a rush of memories. Neon blue lights and splashes in the bathtub, children laughing outside, and the feel of his own heart beating. Every time he caught a glimpse of the sun or when he stepped outside to view a meteor shower, his pulse would quicken and his eyes would mist. As the days and nights passed, he slowly came to a very painful realization.

Alfred really was gone.

Ivan swallowed thickly and turned from the stars, returning to the quiet solitude of his house. Subconscious desires had made him pick one far too big for only one person and two cats. Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, an open kitchen and dining room. A house meant for a family. It could easily fit four. But he knew that would never happen. It would likely never even hold two, outside of occasional guests. Aurthur and Francis were not the only ones who visited. Gilbert made the rare appearance, and his sisters still visited once or twice a year. Toris and Felix would drop by for work reasons, sometimes bringing Eduard or Raivis along. None of that was enough to fill the emptiness.

Ivan trudged upstairs, passed his study and the guest bedroom, to his own bedroom. A room which he still had a hard time referring to as only his. He did not share a bed anymore, or a living space. Aside from the cats, of course, but even Sputnik seemed upset about the absence, often sitting in windows and watching the sky.

The second cat was a slightly smaller boy, cream colored with a brown collar and a fluffy brown tail. Ivan adopted him from the shelter not long after he moved. Sputnik needed someone to play with, he thought, now that Alfred wasn't around. He was an energetic cat, just over a year old, with big blue eyes. Ivan named him Apollo.

In the bedroom, there was jar of sunlight on Ivan's windowsill that glowed softly every night, and glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling. A box of clothes sat in his closet that no one would ever wear again. A knitted blue sweater that was falling apart, and jeans with frayed holes in them. He still kept them, an ember of hope refusing to extinguish. He knew it wouldn't happen.

Ivan dreamed, too. Sometimes they were soft and sweet, burying his nose in golden hair as he whispered _I miss you_ over and over like a prayer. There were times he'd wake up on a wet pillow, his eyelashes damp. Other times they were different- glowing eyes and marks on skin, giggling and purring, soft gasps under loving touches.

His sisters told him to move on. Even Gilbert was giving him pitying glances now, though it wasn't like he'd gone a date since Matthew left either. Oh, God, did the thought of being with _anyone_ else make nausea build in Ivan's stomach. And it was not for a lack of trying. He had made attempts to flirt with a man in a bar or down at the library, strike up casual conversations that ended painfully awkward. It's only been a year, those who knew would tell him, give yourself time to heal. But then they would also say he needed to actually put _effort_ into healing, into letting go. Well, he didn't _want_ to let go. He didn't care that it hurt or that it wasn't healthy. How could he when he felt as though his heart had fallen out?

Besides, it didn't hurt that much anymore. Mostly he just felt numb. Did Alfred remember him, or had he forgotten? Those thoughts were the most painful. Wondering if Alfred had moved on and was living a cheerful life with someone new. Someone that wasn't Ivan. He could never have asked Alfred to stay, though, not with the danger so close and closing in. Alfred had to return to his planet, his home where he was safe, and so Ivan had no choice but to let him go. He may have been Ivan's for a short while, but he was not Ivan's to keep and never had been. Ivan only wished he'd realized that sooner.

In the morning, the sun streamed soft light through the windows. Ivan was peeling an apple for breakfast, and there was coffee being made. He'd eat first, obviously, those two things would probably not taste very well together. He was standing at the kitchen sink, letting the skin fall in. There was a window in front of him, giving him a clear view of his backyard, the sunflower patch and the wooden swing he'd put up for useless dreams. He did sit on it every once in a while, and his niece could use it once she was old enough.

Ivan wasn't looking out the window. He was watching his hands mechanically peel his apple, vaguely registering the sounds of Sputnik and Apollo enjoying their breakfast, and wondering when Toris would call to bug him about writing a new book. He'd asked Ivan about a _sequel_ for his last one _,_ which was new. He'd never asked for a sequel before. It had been a very different book from Ivan's usual writing. Purely science-fiction, or so any readers would believe. There were a few who would see it and know.

 _How To Take Care Of An Alien_.

Set some rules and give them a bath, because you probably found them outside. Play games with them and take them to the park. Be careful of the snow and the cold, keep them warm. Give them good food, but watch out for possible allergies. Keep them safe, especially when traveling. Don't be afraid to cuddle, and give hugs often. And do not -under any circumstance- fall in love.

But in the book, Light stayed with Nikolai and they lived out their lives together. That was the nice thing about stories. They could end however he wanted them to.

After breakfast and cleaning and putting his dishes away, Ivan thought it was a good time to get the mail. He slipped on his boots and went out, not bothering with a coat. It was warm enough, and the weather was pleasant. He opened the door, watching behind him to make sure Apollo didn't try to run passed him. He had once, and Ivan found him crying in a bush. He clung to Ivan the whole walk home.

Ivan strolled down the dirt driveway, toying with the ends of his scarf. His mailbox was small and black, perched on a wooden post. An average mailbox. Ivan pulled the little door down and reached inside. As he walked back to his house, he flipped through what he'd received. Mostly junk mail- advertisements, coupons. A few bills were in there, and an envelope from Yekaterina. He already knew what was inside. Pictures of his sisters and brother-in-law, and his new niece. They'd named her Masha, and she looked just like her mother. Yekaterina promised to bring her for a visit after her first birthday.

And then there was something that made Ivan stop just outside the door. A card, folded and a picture on each of the four sides. The front showed a galaxy- a big, circular star cluster. The second showed several planets all orbiting a brilliant sun, none of them recognizable to Ivan. A closeup of a planet with twin moons that didn't actually look alike, with landmasses and water and clouds. A city with tall, shiny buildings, and lots of green because they fought off their pollution problem. And the last picture; a spaceship that Ivan had only heard descriptions of, a crew all dressed in black suits and helmets and ready for takeoff. Among them were two nearly identical faces, but Ivan could still spot the small differences.

Ivan's breath choked in his throat and he crashed through the front door so fast, he almost thought it would break. “Alfred!”

Silence as he kicked the door shut behind him. Ivan checked the whole downstairs. The kitchen and the living room, the dining room, even the washing machine in the laundry room. Still nothing. He couldn't-...how did it _get in his mailbox_? Alfred wouldn't have come all the way to Earth just to drop him a _postcard_ and then leave. Ivan raced up the stairs, directly to his bedroom, and threw the door open.

He stopped, his breath caught in his throat. Neon blue eyes peered up at him from behind black framed glasses, their owner crouched in the doorway of the closet with a box of clothes. He'd already changed into his old jeans and taken his shirt off, strange alien clothes lying in a pile at his feet. Crowding around him were Sputnik and Apollo, both mewing and purring excitedly.

He couldn't actually _be there_. Could he? Ivan had to be dreaming. Or hallucinating.

The alien stood, a wide smile spreading, as much disbelief in his face as Ivan had. Ivan let the card slip from his hand and took slow, hesitant steps, reaching a hand out to touch soft skin. His throat constricted when the alien purred and leaned into his fingertips, and gripped the front of his shirt.

“Alfred,” Ivan mumbled.

“Ivan,” he grinned, eyes shining bright.

Ivan brought his other hand up, carefully mapping out his face. “Did I fall asleep somewhere?”

“No,” Alfred giggled, placing his hands over Ivan's, “I'm here, we came back.”

Ivan's mind tried working out the how and why, but he was too occupied with looking at Alfred's face. It had been a whole year since he'd watched him leave. Ivan rubbed his thumbs softly over Alfred's freckled cheeks, still trying to convince himself he wasn't hallucinating.

“I'm really here, Ivan,” Alfred said, eyes on Ivan's lips. He really wanted some 'welcome home' kisses but... “Did you- um. Is there someone else?”

“Of course not,” Ivan answered a little harsher than intended. The thought, to him, was ridiculous. How could there be anyone else?

Alfred purred again and kissed him excitedly. Ivan pressed back hard enough to send them both stumbling back and tripping onto the bed, landing on the mattress with a soft bounce. Alfred laughed again, smiling so wide the corners of his eyes crinkled, and wrapped his arms around Ivan's neck.

“I missed you. I missed you so much!”

“I missed you, too,” Ivan said, burying his nose in golden hair. He ran his hands down Alfred's shoulders and sides and back up, reveling how solid and real he felt, afraid he'd disappear any moment.

“We tried going to your apartment, but someone else lives there now!” Alfred said, “so Mattie and I went to Aurthur's store and he said you moved, and he gave us your address, and then Francis called Gilbert and he came over and we all came here. And I put a thing in your mailbox! Now you can see some of my galaxy, and Apollonia, and our really big ship.”

“All of you are here?” Ivan asked, refusing to move from his spot on top of him.

“Yeah. Mattie said they'd all go to the grocery store so it'd just be me and you for a while. Francis wanted to get wine and Gilbert's getting beer.”

“Oh.” Ivan breathed him in, the scent of stardust and sugar still so familiar, mixed with the lingering scent of a ship's oily mechanics. They clung to each other, not willing to let go for a second, and neither were exactly sure of what to say. Ivan still wasn't sure _how_ Alfred was back. How he convinced a global space agency that sending him back to the planet he crashed on was a good idea, and for now he didn't care. He was busy leaving kisses all over Alfred's face.

“I can't believe it's been a whole year,” Alfred murmured, studying Ivan's face. “I never stopped thinking about you, not once.”

“Neither did I,” He said, feeling Alfred all over. He couldn't stop touching him. He felt so _real_. “I thought I would never see you again.”

“I didn't either, but there's a lot that happened and-” Alfred wrapped his arms around his neck, pulling him closer, “I still love you.”

“I still love you, too.” Both of them were starting to tear up, they were so happy.

They tightly clung to each other until they didn't know what time it was anymore, unable to stop staring and touching and kissing. They refused to let go even as they got up and got Alfred into one of his old shirts, and descended the stairs to find the kitchen full of people. Gilbert had an arm around Matthew's shoulders as he laughed at his own joke. and Francis was shooing Aurthur away from the stove. Matthew gave a little wave when he saw them. How did they even get in Ivan's house?

“Aurthur picked the lock on the back door so we could surprise you,” Alfred explained, cuddling his arm. Oh.

Francis smiled at them, “ah, there you are! I'll take of care of lunch, so don't worry about a thing.” He winked at them, “you two deserve some quality time together.”

“Okay.” Ivan looked at all of their faces, then down to Alfred's happy smile. He was really there. They were all really there.

Alfred was home.

A wide smile stretched across his own face, and he brushed his nose against Alfred's, staring into neon blue eyes. Was this real?

While they sat around the table, Matthew and Alfred explained what they were doing back on Earth. The information collected by their podship and their Friends had intrigued the Global Space Exploration Agency. Humans were the most similar beings to Apollians they had ever encountered, and a proposal was made to do more research on their solar system. Earth in particular with its people and many other lifeforms. Initially it was only going to be distant observation with satellites, then some other ideas were slipped in and passed around. It turned into a lifelong mission, not one many were willing to do because it would require leaving behind family and friends. It almost didn't happen.

Matthew spoke to a few higher ups that he and Alfred were close with. Before their reports were due to be handed in of their time on Earth, he tweaked them a little, 'accidentally' deleting the bit about how their trek across Europe was to escape capture. He applied himself and Alfred to be the ones sent to Earth, and they were picked mostly because they were already familiar with some of the languages and cultures, had good backgrounds and the least to leave behind. Alfred was to track human advancements in technology and engineering, and Matthew was to study their biological and medical fields. They would have to send reports back to the main ship every six months. If all went well -really well,- the mission could eventually lead to Apollians introducing themselves to humans. And since there was no crash this time, no governments knew they were there. They were safe.

Everyone shared what they'd been up to in the past year. They were all a year older, having missed birthdays and other celebrations. Gilbert was still working in programming and had been promoted to be the head of his department. Aurthur still had his store and Francis had started selling baked goods there as well. Ivan told them about his niece and how Yekaterina was fairing as a new mom, and how his writing was going.

After lunch, Ivan insisted he'd take care of the dishes later. He pulled Alfred back into the bedroom and showed off his most recent book, feeling a small swell of pride as he watched Alfred fawn over the characters and promise to read it, giving him one of those smiles that made him want to squirm. Alfred sat on the bed with both of Sputnik and Apollo crowding his lap, scratching behind their ears and petting them, and they kneaded his legs.

“He is very energetic,” Ivan said. Then admitted a bit sheepishly, “I brought him home because he reminded me of you.”

“Aw~” Alfred cooed, smirking at Ivan teasingly, “I couldn't tell since you named him _Apollo_.”

“Shush,” Ivan pulled him closer, cradling him against his chest, and kissed his temple. “I missed you so much.”

Alfred melted against him, sighing contentedly as he nuzzled his shoulder, “I missed you, too.”

Ivan leaned back against the headboard with him. He already knew he wouldn't sleep that night. Not because of his usual sleep problems, but because he would be too afraid that if he closed his eyes Alfred wouldn't be there when he opened them. He was content to stay awake for once, even when Alfred fell asleep on his chest in the middle of reading _The Wizard of Oz._ He didn't dare move, unwilling to wake him or ruin the moment. Ivan wasn't even sure when the sun came up.

Gilbert helped them set up their lives on Earth, faking high school diplomas and high grades. Alfred was accepted into MIT and Matthew into NYU School of Medicine. Their classes started in September. While Matthew was working to get a doctorate, he chose to live with Gilbert in his apartment, much to Ludwig's confusion. Ivan and Alfred made sure to visit often. Alfred began work as a mechanic in a car repair shop, and Matthew as a receptionist in a pediatric office. They collected their data and sent it to back to their space agency. They were happy on Earth, and happy to be back with their humans.

Francis was arguing with Aurthur over adoption prospects. Aurthur didn't think they were old enough to be fathers to boys in their twenties, Francis claimed age shouldn't matter.

Ivan was slowly getting used to waking up to Alfred again, often going to bed fearing he'd wake up without him. But there he was, smiling and purring sleepily every morning. Little by little, they filled their house with life and memories. Stains on the kitchen ceiling from cooking together, a jar of gummy bears Alfred insisted be kept in the living room, new pictures on the walls, a calendar full of appointments and date nights and family visits from more than Ivan's sisters. Projects scattered on the dining room table. Alfred's shoes seemed to have a habit of ending up in hazardous places, and he loved the swing Ivan put up by the garden.

July approached quickly, as did the twins' twenty-first birthday. They had a small celebration on the first, which Matthew claimed was a more accurate calculation. Alfred just wanted to watch fireworks. At the end of the night on the fourth, Ivan giggled as a lightly drunk Alfred attempted to waltz with him down the hallway.

“Careful, moya solnishka,” Ivan said, holding one hand around Alfred's waist, the other steadying him by the shoulders. He kept him from knocking a picture frame off the wall.

Alfred laughed, his cheeks pink and mind foggy from the drinks Aurthur mixed for them. All of his sun marks were glowing, had been since they left everyone outside, and he seemed intent on dancing. Ivan got him into the bedroom and plopped him on the mattress. Alfred bounced lightly, still giggling as Ivan removed his shoes and helped him wiggle out of his jeans, then removed his glasses. He got him tucked under the covers, then changed into boxers and a baggy t-shirt and climbed in behind him. Ivan pulled him close, wrapping his arms around Alfred's waist, and settled in for the night.

“Ivan!” Alfred huffed, shifting onto his back.

“Yes?”

“There's planets on the ceiling.” He sounded oddly concerned about that, referring to the glowing-in-the-dark mobile he'd hung up. There was the sun, and the moon connected to the Earth. Mercury to dwarf planet Pluto, all in a spiral above their heads.

“I know,” Ivan said, “you put them there.”

“Oh...what if they fall down and destroy the the world?”

“They won't.”

“Okay.” Sputnik joined them, curling up by Ivan's neck, and then Apollo took his usual spot above their heads. Sputnik mewed and Alfred giggled. “Ivan.”

“Yes?”

Alfred snuggled close, “I really, really missed you.”

Ivan cracked an eye open, “hm?”

“When I had to go back to the big ship, and we were almost sent back to Apollonia. I missed you so~ much. And I cried. A lot. But don't tell anyone, okay? It's a secret.”

Ivan smiled softly and pulled him even closer. It was a 'secret' that Matthew often teased him about. It was why he'd worked so hard to return to Earth. Ivan would be forever indebted to him. “I won't tell.”

Alfred rolled onto his side again, facing Ivan and burrowing into his chest, ear pressed over his heart. His voice softened as he sleep pulled at him. “I'm never leaving again.”

“You better not,” Ivan mumbled into his hair, tightening his hold on him. “You are mine forever now.”

Alfred purred softly, slipping away to sleep. Ivan held his alien close, petting his hair, vowing to never let him go again. He even had the rings to prove it someday tucked away in a drawer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End!  
> I hope you liked the happy ending. I just couldn't keep them separated :P  
> Also, I recommend the song Bright by Echosmith. It's really cute and I think it fits their relationship in this story.
> 
> Thank you so, so much to everyone who commented and left kudos! I really appreciate all of you :) and thank you so much for sticking with me, especially considering the length. Bye for now!


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